India
Brief History of a Civilization
Published on 17. March 2011
Book
Paperback/Softback
248 pages
978-0-19-973632-4 (ISBN)
Description
India: Brief History of a Civilization provides a brief overview of a very long period, allowing students to acquire a mental map of the entire history of Indian civilization in a short book. Most comprehensive histories devote a few chapters to the early history of India and an increasing number of pages to the more recent period, giving an impression that early history is mere background and that Indian civilization finds its fulfillment in the nation-state. Thomas R. Trautmann believes that the deep past lives on and is a valuable resource for understanding the present day and for creating a viable future. The result is a book that is short enough to read in a few sittings, but comprehensive in coverage-5,000 years of India in brief.
Reviews / Votes
Trautmann largely succeeds in his ambitious goal, producing a compact, readable narrative that makes 5,000 years of indian history accessible to undergraduates and the interested lay-reader alike. ... this book is a remarkable achievement, and will certainly go a long way towards meeting the needs of the target audience. Emma J. Flatt, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African StudiesMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Illustrations
Illustrations, maps
Dimensions
Height: 210 mm
Width: 141 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Weight
290 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-973632-4 (9780199736324)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Professor of History at the University of Michigan; specializes in Ancient India. Books include: Languages and Nations (UC Press, 2006) Aryans and British India (Yoda Press 2004), and editor of Aryan Debates (OUP, 2008).
Content
Illustrations ; About the book ; Chapter 1: Introduction ; India, Indians, Indian Civilization ; The history of Indian Civilization ; The landscape of Indian Civilization ; Chapter 2: The beginnings of Indian Civilization ; Mohenjo-daro and Harappa ; Economy, technology, writing ; Religion ; Origin and destiny of the Indus Civilization ; Chapter 3: The Vedic age ; The Rig Veda ; Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan ; The later Veda ; Chapter 4: New religions, new empires ; Religions of renunciation ; The rise of Magadha ; The Mauryas ; Chapter 5: Classical India ; The formation of classical Indian Civilization ; The classical age ; Late classical Indian Civilization ; Chapter 6: Family, society, polity ; The family ; Society ; Polity ; Chapter 7: Mentalities ; Religion ; Law ; Science ; Classical arts and letters ; Chapter 8: The world that India made ; Central Asia ; East Asia ; Southeast Asia ; The Middle East and Europe ; Chapter 9: Turks and Mughals ; Islam and India ; Turks ; Mughals ; Chapter 10: Europeans ; European merchants ; British rule ; India and European civilization ; Chapter 11: The nation-state ; The emergence of Indian nationalism ; Gandhi and Jinnah ; Partition and Independence ; Chapter 12: New nations ; The Republic of India ; Pakistan and Bangladesh ; Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, the Maldives ; Indian Civilization and the future ; Further reading ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index