The incredible stories of the most powerful and ambitious rulers in Indian history. They ruled vast and influential kingdoms across our country. They laid down laws and systems of administration. They fought wars that had far-reaching impact, and negotiated peaceful times that nurtured the arts and the sciences. They made decisions that, whether right or wrong, shaped events and moulded our culture. They were the kings and queens who played lead roles in the spectacular drama of India’s past. From Kanishka, Harshavardhana, Razia, Akbar and Ranjit Singh in the north to Narasimhavarman, Rajaraja Chola, Krishnadevaraya, Mangammal, Marthanda Varma and Tipu Sultan in the south, and from Gautamiputra Satakarni, Amoghavarsha, Mihira Bhoja and Shivaji in the west to Bimbisara, Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka, Gopala I and the Bhaumakara queens in the east – this book tells the riveting stories of close to 50 important rulers whose actions left a mark on the history of India. Read about their lives and the times they lived in, what they achieved and what they failed at – and why they are still remembered – in Kings and Queens of India. Packed with intriguing facts, this comprehensive volume is the perfect introduction to India’s rich and utterly fascinating royal heritage. *Dynasties Download: Important dynasties and their significance *Impact Summary: Why these monarchs matter in history *Top Trivia: Fun facts about Indian royals

Finalist for the 2018 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in History "A luminous biography." —Rafia Zakaria, Guardian Four centuries ago, a Muslim woman ruled an empire. Nur Jahan, daughter of a Persian noble and widow of a subversive official, became the twentieth and most cherished wife of the Emperor Jahangir. Nur ruled the vast Mughal Empire alongside her husband, leading troops into battle, signing imperial orders, and astutely handling matters of the state. Acclaimed historian Ruby Lal uncovers the rich life and world of Nur Jahan, rescuing this dazzling figure from patriarchal and Orientalist clichés of romance and intrigue, and giving new insight into the lives of women and girls in the Mughal Empire. In Empress, Nur Jahan finally receives her due in a deeply researched and evocative biography that awakens us to a fascinating history.

Which were the first cities of India and how were they discovered? What was it like living in Mughal times? How did the British, who had come to trade in India, end up ruling the country? How has India changed after Independence? Delve into India's past to discover the answers to these questions and many more in this comprehensive history of our nation. Journey through time to visit the baths and palaces of the first cities of Harappa, the stupas of Ashoka and the flamboyant courts of the great Mughals, rich in art, culture and architecture. Learn how the revolution of 1857 really started and march alongside Gandhi on his quest for an India free from British rule. Plus, discover more about each period through fun and easy 'To do' activities. Told in simple, lucid prose and interspersed with beautiful illustrations, A Children's History of India makes learning history a fun and engaging experience for readers of all ages.

The incredible stories of the most powerful and ambitious rulers in Indian history They ruled vast and influential kingdoms across our country. They laid down laws and systems of administration. They fought wars that had far-reaching impact, and negotiated peaceful times that nurtured the arts and the sciences. They made decisions that, whether right or wrong, shaped events and moulded our culture. They were the kings and queens who played lead roles in the spectacular drama of India’s past. From Kanishka, Harshavardhana, Razia, Akbar and Ranjit Singh in the north to Narasimhavarman, Rajaraja Chola, Krishnadevaraya, Mangammal, Marthanda Varma and Tipu Sultan in the south, and from Gautamiputra Satakarni, Amoghavarsha, Mihira Bhoja and Shivaji in the west to Bimbisara, Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka, Gopala I and the Bhaumakara queens in the east – this book tells the riveting stories of close to 50 important rulers whose actions left a mark on the history of India. Read about their lives and the times they lived in, what they achieved and what they failed at – and why they are still remembered – in Kings and Queens of India. Packed with intriguing facts, this comprehensive volume is the perfect introduction to India’s rich and utterly fascinating royal heritage. *Dynasties Download: Important dynasties and their significance *Impact Summary: Why these monarchs matter in history *Top Trivia: Fun facts about Indian royals

Combining entertainment and education, India's most beloved comic book series, Amar Chitra Katha, or "Immortal Picture Stories," is also an important cultural institution that has helped define, for several generations of readers, what it means to be Hindu and Indian. Karline McLain worked in the ACK production offices and had many conversations with Anant Pai, founder and publisher, and with artists, writers, and readers about why the comics are so popular and what messages they convey. In this intriguing study, she explores the making of the comic books and the kinds of editorial and ideological choices that go into their production.

“Poignant and important.” —Refinery29 “A bright and sparkly celebration of love and self-acceptance.” —Kirkus Reviews Judy Blume meets RuPaul’s Drag Race in this funny, feel-good debut novel about a queer teen who navigates questions of identity and self-acceptance while discovering the magical world of drag. Perpetually awkward Nima Kumara-Clark is bored with her insular community of Bridgeton, in love with her straight girlfriend, and trying to move past her mother’s unexpected departure. After a bewildering encounter at a local festival, Nima finds herself suddenly immersed in the drag scene on the other side of town. Macho drag kings, magical queens, new love interests, and surprising allies propel Nima both painfully and hilariously closer to a self she never knew she could be—one that can confidently express and accept love. But she’ll have to learn to accept lost love to get there. From debut author Tanya Boteju comes a poignant, laugh-out-loud tale of acceptance, self-expression, and the colorful worlds that await when we’re brave enough to look.

Winner of the 2009 Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy Book Prize, sponsored by the Association for Asian Studies The medieval Rajput queen Padmini - believed to have been pursued by Alauddin Khalji, the Sultan of Delhi - has been the focus of numerous South Asian narratives, ranging from a Sufi mystical romance in the sixteenth century to nationalist histories in the late nineteenth century. The Many Lives of a Rajput Queen explores how early modern regional elites, caste groups, and mystical and monastic communities shaped their distinctive versions of the past through the repeated refashioning of the legend of Padmini. Ramya Sreenivasan investigates these legends and traces their subsequent appropriation by colonial administrators and nationalist intellectuals, for varying different political ends. Using Padmini as a means of illustrating the power of gender norms in constructing heroic memory, she shows how such narratives about virtuous women changed as they circulated across particular communities in South Asia between the sixteenth and early twentieth centuries. This book will interest historians of memory, gender, community, culture, and historywriting in South Asia. Illustrating how enduring legends emerged out of particular precolonial repositories of "tradition," the book also addresses the nature of colonial transitions and precolonial historical consciousness.