India
Third Edition
$21.95, £12.95 paperback
978-0-520-24696-6
Available Now
300 pages, 6 x 9 inches, 29 b/w photographs, 1 map
November 2005, Not available in South Asia
Categories: History; South Asia; Asian History
November 2005, Not available in South Asia
Categories: History; South Asia; Asian History
"To all of us who delightedly and sometimes repetitively call ourselves Old India hands, Stanley Wolpert is the acknowledged authority. This book tells why. Indian history, art, culture, and contemporary politics are here in accurate, wide-ranging, and lucid prose."—John Kenneth Galbraith
PRAISE FOR THE PREVIOUS EDITION:
"Wolpert understands IndiaÉ. Fluent, wide-ranging and often wise, this volume is a useful addition to a shelf of books on India."—Shashi Tharoor, Washington Post Book World
"A superb distillation of a lifetime's learning by UCLA's great historian of India. Refreshingly concrete and detailed, [and] vibrantly written, Wolpert's overview repeatedly succeeds at explaining a culture that gave us little things like the decimal system, chess, cotton cloth, meditation, and two religions called Buddhism and Hinduism."—Philadelphia Inquirer
"If one were to read a single book about India in a lifetime, this should be it."—Library Journal
PRAISE FOR THE PREVIOUS EDITION:
"Wolpert understands IndiaÉ. Fluent, wide-ranging and often wise, this volume is a useful addition to a shelf of books on India."—Shashi Tharoor, Washington Post Book World
"A superb distillation of a lifetime's learning by UCLA's great historian of India. Refreshingly concrete and detailed, [and] vibrantly written, Wolpert's overview repeatedly succeeds at explaining a culture that gave us little things like the decimal system, chess, cotton cloth, meditation, and two religions called Buddhism and Hinduism."—Philadelphia Inquirer
"If one were to read a single book about India in a lifetime, this should be it."—Library Journal
The history of India is the engrossing story of an ancient civilization, reborn as a modern nation. More a continent than a single nation, India is home to over one-fifth of humanity, yet it remains a mystery to most non-Indians, barely appreciated and poorly understood. Stanley Wolpert's third edition of India provides a much-needed, concise overview of Indian history and culture. His new preface brings the book up to date, discussing the most recent national elections, the economic effects of the new globalization, and the consequences of joining the nuclear arms race.
Preface to the 1991 Edition
Preface to the 1999 Edition
Preface to the 2005 Edition
1. The Environment
The River
Heat
Monsoon Rains
Mountain Walls
2. Historic Prologues
Pre-Aryan Urbanization
Aryan Conquests and Emerging Synthesis
Ancient Imperial Unification and Its Limits
Islamic Conquests
Westernization and Modernization
Young India's Revolutions and Reforms
The Impact of Mahatma Gandhi
3. Religion and Philosophy
Yoga and Shaivism
Mother Goddess Worship
Nonviolent Buddhism and Jainism
Laws of Action and Reincarnation
Devotional Vaishnavism
Higher Hindu Philosophy
Islam in India
Sikhism
Modernist Religious Movements
4. Society
Caste and Class
Untouchability
The Family
Roles of Women
Village Life
The Urban Revolution
5. Arts and Sciences
Dance, Drama, and Music
Worship in Bronze and Stone
Caves, Temple and Regal Art, and Architecture
The Art of Literature
Scientific Contributions
6. Polity and Foreign Policy
Kingship and Democracy
Economic Planning and Development
Foreign Policy
The Future
Notes
Suggested Additional Reading
Index
Preface to the 1999 Edition
Preface to the 2005 Edition
1. The Environment
The River
Heat
Monsoon Rains
Mountain Walls
2. Historic Prologues
Pre-Aryan Urbanization
Aryan Conquests and Emerging Synthesis
Ancient Imperial Unification and Its Limits
Islamic Conquests
Westernization and Modernization
Young India's Revolutions and Reforms
The Impact of Mahatma Gandhi
3. Religion and Philosophy
Yoga and Shaivism
Mother Goddess Worship
Nonviolent Buddhism and Jainism
Laws of Action and Reincarnation
Devotional Vaishnavism
Higher Hindu Philosophy
Islam in India
Sikhism
Modernist Religious Movements
4. Society
Caste and Class
Untouchability
The Family
Roles of Women
Village Life
The Urban Revolution
5. Arts and Sciences
Dance, Drama, and Music
Worship in Bronze and Stone
Caves, Temple and Regal Art, and Architecture
The Art of Literature
Scientific Contributions
6. Polity and Foreign Policy
Kingship and Democracy
Economic Planning and Development
Foreign Policy
The Future
Notes
Suggested Additional Reading
Index