A Brief History of India

As recently as the turn of the century, Western images of India pictured it as a land of religion, luxury, and desperate poverty holy men sitting cross-legged by the roadside, fat maharajas on bejeweled elephants, or poverty-stricken beggars picking garbage for scraps to eat. Now that image has started to change. Today Americans are more likely to imagine Indian workers in call centers taking jobs needed in the United States or kids winning fortunes on quiz shows as in Slumdog Millionaire. Covering approximately 5,000 years of history, this revised resource offers an accessible, reliable introduction to the rich and diverse history of India.