Price
$16.95
Available in stock
Shortest History of India: From the World's Oldest Civilization to Its Largest Democracy--A Retelling for Our Times
$16.95
Available in stock
Description
Five millennia of civilization masterfully condensed into an absorbing, fast-paced narrative of how India became the world's largest democracy and a rising global power. The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced read. India is an amalgam of customs, races, castes, languages, and spiritual beliefs--woven together throughout the ages into a colossal history. From ancient migrations and the Harappān civilization to Muslim invaders, the Great Mughals, British rule, hard-fought independence, and present-day hopes and challenges, John Zubrzycki fashions a riveting narrative that helps readers make sense of the country behind today's headlines. Zubrzycki brings the complex and contrasting layers of Indian history to life through a well-known cast of characters--Buddha, Alexander the Great, Akbar, Clive, Tipu Sultan, Lakshmi Bai, Curzon, Jinnah, and Mahatma Gandhi--against a backdrop of the mystical Ganges, the desert forts of Rajasthan, the snow-covered Himalayas, and the ruins of India's fabled civilizations. From Buddhism to Bollywood, India has made its mark on Asia and the world. Only time will tell if India--whose population has now surpassed China's--can overcome its political, social, and religious tensions to become the next global superpower.
Description
5,000 years of history--from the Bhagavad Gitā 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 Harappān 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.
ISBN
9781615199976
Publisher
Experiment
Publication Date
2023-11-07
Binding
Paperback
Item Condition
New
