India: Brief History of a Civilization - Softcover

"This book is comprehensive, yet short; scholarly, yet accessible. It is the one book I would recommend to anyone who would like a great introduction to Indian history."--Sylvia Gray, Portland Community College

"Thomas R. Trautmann has produced the rarest of birds: a lucid, compelling, and yet sophisticated introductory text. Trautmann provides the kind of long historical sweep--from the ancient past to the present--that serves as the perfect foil for understanding the historical dynamics of the region. There is simply no other single guide to South Asia that matches either his fine balance of coverage between different historical periods or his signature combination of enormous erudition with absolute clarity. This book synthesizes and distills the lifetime's understanding of a master historian."--Mrinalini Sinha, University of Michigan

"Trautmann is one of the few scholars qualified to speak with authority on the entire span of Indian civilization, from its ancient roots to its modern present. He has done so in a masterly fashion, without sacrificing sophistication to brevity."--Sumit Guha, University of Texas at Austin

"This book does what few other introductory texts on South Asian history do-renders all 5,000 years of India accessible to undergraduates--not just the last few hundred or so. It is written with a vision and elegance that are the hallmark of Trautmann's scholarship. His mastery of the history and anthropology of India--both ancient and modern--is subtly distilled into this readable gem of a book. It is an invaluable contribution and a pleasure to teach."--A. Azfar Moin, University of Texas at Austin

India: Brief History of a Civilization, Second Edition, 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.