Drawn from a variety of academic disciplines and perspectives, this volume approaches ancient India both historically and geographically. The primary temporal focus lies in India's "Early Historic" period, from the mid-first millennium BCE through the mid-first millennium CE. The geographic focus is shifted landward rather than seaward and is centered on South Asia rather than the Mediterranean. Contributors examine power and material culture; Mediterranean image making, which looks at Greek and Roman understandings of India; and language and otherness, which explores Indian knowledge and understandings of outsiders. The volume as a whole directs us to the complex webs and networks that throughout Indian history have linked South Asians to each other and to the world beyond the subcontinent. A very wide world indeed. Contributors are Shinu A. Abraham, Madhav Deshpande, Grant Parker, Alka Patel, Himanshu P. Ray, James Romm, Martha Ann Selby, and Thomas R. Trautmann. Grant Parker is Assistant Professor of Classics, Stanford University. Carla M. Sinopoli is Professor of Anthropology and Curator and Director, Museum of Anthropology, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, University of Michigan.

First published in 1965, The Culture and Civilisation of Ancient India in Historical Outline is a strikingly original work, the first real cultural history of India. The main features of the Indian character are traced back into remote antiquity as the natural outgrowth of historical process. Did the change from food gathering and the pastoral life to agriculture make new religions necessary? Why did the Indian cities vanish with hardly a trace and leave no memory? Who were the Aryans – if any? Why should Buddhism, Jainism, and so many other sects of the same type come into being at one time and in the same region? How could Buddhism spread over so large a part of Asia while dying out completely in the land of its origin? What caused the rise and collapse of the Magadhan empire; was the Gupta empire fundamentally different from its great predecessor, or just one more ‘oriental despotism’? These are some of the many questions handled with great insight, yet in the simplest terms, in this stimulating work. This book will be of interest to students of history, sociology, archaeology, anthropology, cultural studies, South Asian studies and ethnic studies.

Former India Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran has had a ringside view of the most critical events and shifts in Indian foreign policy in the new millennium. In this magisterial book, Saran discerns the threads that tie together his experiences as a diplomat

The circulations of knowledge -- The routes, networks, and objects of circulation -- The imperial connections -- Pan-Asianism and the (re)new(ed) connections -- The geopolitical disconnect -- Conclusion

Presenting the grand sweep of Indian history from antiquity to the present, A History of India is a detailed and authoritative account of the major political, economic, social and cultural forces that have shaped the history of the Indian subcontinent. Hermann Kulke and Dietmar Rothermund provide a comprehensive overview of the structural pattern of Indian history, covering each historical period in equal depth. Fully revised throughout, the sixth edition of this highly accessible book has been brought up to date with analysis of recent events such as the 2014 election and its consequences, and includes more discussion of subjects such as caste and gender, Islam, foreign relations, partition, and the press and television. This new edition contains an updated chronology of key events and a useful glossary of Indian terms, and is highly illustrated with maps and photographs. Supplemented by a companion website (www.routledge.com/cw/kulke), it is a valuable resource for students of Indian history.

How can the complexities of ancient India be comprehended? This book draws on a vast array of texts, inscriptions, archaeology, archival sources and art to delve into themes such as the history of regions and religions, archaeologists and the modern histories of ancient sites, the interface between political ideas and practice, violence and resistance, and the interactions between the Indian subcontinent and the wider world. It highlights recent approaches and challenges in reconstructing South Asia's early history, and in doing so, brings out the exciting complexities of ancient India. Authoritative and incisive, this revised Penguin edition-with two new chapters-is essential reading for students and scholars of ancient Indian history and for all those interested in India's past.

It's difficult to understand ancient civilizations when they lived so differently than we do today. This volume makes ancient India relevant by describing the day-to-day lifestyles of people of the Indus Valley Civilization, the Maurya Empire, and the Gupta Empire. Readers will learn about the roles of women, men, and children; what their homes looked like; the clothes they wore; their grooming habits; and what they liked to eat. With engaging text, rich and colorful illustrations, and an enhanced e-book option, this title is a valuable research resource for reports.