A Concise History of Modern India

A Concise History of Modern India

Author: Barbara D. Metcalf

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2006-09-28

Total Pages: 372

ISBN-13: 1139458876

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In a second edition of their successful Concise History of Modern India, Barbara Metcalf and Thomas Metcalf explore India's modern history afresh and update the events of the last decade. These include the takeover of Congress from the seemingly entrenched Hindu nationalist party in 2004, India's huge advances in technology and the country's new role as a major player in world affairs. From the days of the Mughals, through the British Empire, and into Independence, the country has been transformed by its institutional structures. It is these institutions which have helped bring about the social, cultural and economic changes that have taken place over the last half century and paved the way for the modern success story. Despite these advances, poverty, social inequality and religious division still fester. In response to these dilemmas, the book grapples with questions of caste and religious identity, and the nature of the Indian nation.


India: A Short History (A Short History)

India: A Short History (A Short History)

Author: Andrew Robinson

Publisher: Thames & Hudson

Published: 2014-05-20

Total Pages: 274

ISBN-13: 0500771952

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India’s unfolding story, from the ancient Hindu dynasties to the coming of Islam, from the Mughal Empire to the present day India has always been a land of great contradictions. To Alexander the Great, the country was a place of clever naked philosophers and massive armies mounted on elephants – which eventually forced his army to retreat. To ancient Rome, it was a source of luxuries, mainly spices and textiles, paid for in gold—hence the enormous numbers of Roman gold coins excavated in India. At the height of the Mughal empire in 1700, India boasted 24 percent of the world economy—a share virtually equal to Europe’s 25 percent. But then its economy declined. Colonial India was known for its extremes of wealth and poverty, epitomized by the Taj Mahal and famines, maharajas and untouchables, and also for its spirituality: many-armed Hindu gods and Buddhist philosophy, Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore. India: A Short History places as much emphasis on individuals, ideas and cultures as on the rise and fall of kingdoms, political parties and economies. Anyone curious about a great civilization, and its future, will find this an ideal introduction, at times controversial, written by an author who has been strongly engaged with India for more than three decades.


The Shortest History of India: From the World's Oldest Civilization to Its Largest Democracy - A Retelling for Our Times (Shortest History)

The Shortest History of India: From the World's Oldest Civilization to Its Largest Democracy - A Retelling for Our Times (Shortest History)

Author: John Zubrzycki

Publisher: The Experiment, LLC

Published: 2023-11-07

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 1615199985

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5,000 years of history—from the Bhagavad Gita to Bollywood—fill this masterful portrait of the world’s most populous nation and a rising global power. The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced read. India—a cradle of civilization with five millennia of history, a country of immense consequence and contradiction—often defies ready understanding. What holds its people together—across its many cultures, races, languages, and creeds—and how has India evolved into the liberal democracy it is today? From the Harappan era to Muslim invasions, the Great Mughals, British rule, independence, and present-day hopes, John Zubrzycki distills India’s colossal history into a gripping true story filled with legendary lives: Alexander the Great, Akbar, Robert Clive, Tipu Sultan, Lakshmi Bai, Lord Curzon, Jinnah, and Gandhi. India’s gifts to the world include Buddhism, yoga, the concept of zero, the largest global diaspora—and its influence is only growing. Already the world’s largest democracy, in 2023, India became the most populous nation. Can India overcome its political, social, and religious tensions to be the next global superpower? As the world watches—and wonders—this Shortest History is an essential, clarifying read.


A Concise History of South India

A Concise History of South India

Author: Noboru Karashima

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780198099772

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The course of south Indian history from pre-historic times to the contemporary era is a complex narrative with many interpretations. Reflecting recent advances in the study of the region, this volume provides an assessment of the events and socio-cultural development of south India through a comprehensive analysis of its historical trajectory. Investigating the region's states and configurations, this book covers a wide range of topics that include the origins of the early inhabitants, formation of the ancient kingdoms, advancement of agriculture, new religious movements based on bhakti, and consolidation of centralized states in the medieval period. It further explores the growth of industries in relation to the development of East-West maritime trade in the Indian Ocean as well as the wave of Islamicization and the course of commercial relations with various European countries. The book then goes on to discuss the advent of early-modern state rule, impact of the raiyatwari system introduced by the British, debates about whether the region's economy developed or deteriorated during the eighteenth century, decline of matriliny in Kerala, emergence of the Dravidian Movement, and the intertwining of politics with contemporary popular culture. Well illustrated with maps and images, and incorporating new archaeological evidence and historiography, this volume presents new perspectives on a gamut of issues relating to communities, languages, and cultures of a macro-region that continues to fascinate scholars and readers alike.


Early India

Early India

Author: Dwijendra Narayan Jha

Publisher:

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13:

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The Book Presents A Lucid Survey Of Major Developments In The Ancient And Early Medieval Periods Of Indain History. It Discusses Issues Like The Antiquity And Authorship Of The Harappan Civilization, The Original Home Of The Aryans And The Salient Features Of Their Life, The Emergence Of Caste System And The Process Of State Formation Culminating In The Establishment Of The Maurya Empire. Challenging The Stereotype Of An `Unchanging` India And The Myth Of The `Golden Age`, The Book Not Only Underlines The Changes In Its Cocial Structure Over Centuries But Also Devotes Much Space To India`S Contact With The Outside World Leading To The Enrichment Of Its Culture. Moreover, It Pays Adequate Attention To The Transformation Of India From Pre-Feudal To Feudal Society And To The Discussion Of The Contours Of Feudal Culture.


A Concise History of Modern Architecture in India

A Concise History of Modern Architecture in India

Author: Jon T. Lang

Publisher: Orient Blackswan

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 9788178240176

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In Lucid Language That Speaks To Laymen And Architects Alike, This Book Provides A History Of Twentieth Century Architecture In India. It Examines In Detail The Early Influences On Indian Architecture Both Of Movements Like The Bauhaus As Well As Prominent Individuals Like Habib Rehman, Jawaharlal Nehru, Frank Lloyd Wright And Le Corbusier.


Land of seven rivers

Land of seven rivers

Author: Sanjeev Sanyal

Publisher: Penguin UK

Published: 2012-11-15

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 8184756712

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DID THE GREAT FLOOD OF INDIAN LEGEND ACTUALLY HAPPEN? WHY DID THE BUDDHA WALK TO SARNATH TO GIVE HIS FIRST SERMON? HOW DID THE EUROPEANS MAP INDIA? The history of any country begins with its geography. With sparkling wit and intelligence, Sanjeev Sanyal sets off to explore India and look at how the country’s history was shaped by, among other things, its rivers, mountains and cities. Traversing remote mountain passes, visiting ancient archaeological sites, crossing rivers in shaky boats and immersing himself in old records and manuscripts, he considers questions about Indian history that we rarely ask: Why do Indians call their country Bharat? How did the British build the railways across the subcontinent? Why was the world’s highest mountain named after George Everest? Moving from the geological beginnings of the subcontinent to present-day Gurgaon, Land of the Seven Rivers is riveting, wry and full of surprises. It is the most entertaining history of India you will ever read.


India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy

India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy

Author: Ramachandra Guha

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Published: 2017-07-13

Total Pages: 871

ISBN-13: 1509883282

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Ramachandra Guha’s India after Gandhi is a magisterial account of the pains, struggles, humiliations and glories of the world’s largest and least likely democracy. A riveting chronicle of the often brutal conflicts that have rocked a giant nation, and of the extraordinary individuals and institutions who held it together, it established itself as a classic when it was first published in 2007. In the last decade, India has witnessed, among other things, two general elections; the fall of the Congress and the rise of Narendra Modi; a major anti-corruption movement; more violence against women, Dalits, and religious minorities; a wave of prosperity for some but the persistence of poverty for others; comparative peace in Nagaland but greater discontent in Kashmir than ever before. This tenth anniversary edition, updated and expanded, brings the narrative up to the present. Published to coincide with seventy years of the country’s independence, this definitive history of modern India is the work of one of the world’s finest scholars at the height of his powers.


A History of India

A History of India

Author: Burton Stein

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2010-04-12

Total Pages: 487

ISBN-13: 1405195096

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This new edition of Burton Stein's classic A History of India builds on the success of the original to provide an updated narrative of the development of Indian society, culture, and politics from 7000 BC to the present. New edition of Burton Stein’s classic text provides a narrative from 7000 BC up to the twenty-first century Includes updated and extended coverage of the modern period, with a new chapter covering the death of Nehru in 1964 to the present Expands coverage of India's internal political and economic development, and its wider diplomatic role in the region Features a new introduction, updated glossary and further reading sections, and numerous figures, photographs and fully revised maps Part of The Blackwell History of the World Series The goal of this ambitious series is to provide an accessible source of knowledge about the entire human past, for every curious person in every part of the world. It will comprise some two dozen volumes, of which some provide synoptic views of the history of particular regions while others consider the world as a whole during a particular period of time. The volumes are narrative in form, giving balanced attention to social and cultural history (in the broadest sense) as well as to institutional development and political change. Each provides a systematic account of a very large subject, but they are also both imaginative and interpretative. The Series is intended to be accessible to the widest possible readership, and the accessibility of its volumes is matched by the style of presentation and production.