A History of India: Volume 1 (Penguin History) [Mass Market Paperback]

Romila Thapar (Author)

Book Description

Series: Penguin History | Publication Date: January 1, 1995

A full account of Indian history from the establishment of Aryan culture to the coming of the Mughals in 1526 A.D.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Romila Thapar is Emeritus Professor of History at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (January 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140138358
• ISBN-13: 978-0140138351
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #300,907 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mixed feelings, March 19, 2007

By 

Srikanth Meenakshi (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A History of India: Volume 1 (Penguin History) (Mass Market Paperback)

As can be seen from the other reviews, opinions about this book span the spectrum. I just finished reading the book, and overall, I found the book useful. The language was lucid and the structure compact. It takes the readers from ancient times to the year 1526 (the year that Babur won the first battle of Panipat and laid the foundation for the Mugal empire). Chapters in the book deal mostly with distinct periods and they begin with a coverage of the kingdoms of the period, then proceed to administration methods, arts and literature, and finally to religion and culture. South India gets mostly distinct treatment from the North, but there are constant cross-references of co-occuring events. There is a definite attempt to provide coverage of what peoples lives were like during the times, and what the social customs were. All this is good.

However, as some others have pointed out, the author does come off as having a distaste for anything that is associated with the religion of Hinduism. How palatable this is for the reader will depend on the reader's own perception. For me, there were definitely places where I accepted the acid tone and stern language of the author - especially when she talks about the caste system, and how it prevented the democratization of education, arts and literature (the latter also a product of the treatment given to the Sanskrit language). There were also places in the book where the text appeared needlessly harsh and biased. In the latter parts of the book, the author, while praising Islamic architecture, draws a comparison with the pillars in Hindu temples and comments that the latter were unnecessarily ornate! For every piece of warranted criticism, there appeared to be an unwarranted one.

In summary, if your goal is to get a reasonable and comprehensive view of Indian history, you can't go too wrong with this book. At the same time, if you have strong ideas about India already, it would be difficult to get through it.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Engagingly written but outdated, December 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A History of India: Volume 1 (Penguin History) (Mass Market Paperback)

The book was published in the 60s and that shows. So much new has been discovered about ancient India since then that the book is hopelessly outdated. I would recommend to Romila Thapar that she should revise it.

10 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Needs to be revised, January 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A History of India: Volume 1 (Penguin History) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book was written almost 40 years ago, since when archaeologists and historians have made great advances in the understanding of ancient India. It is written engagingly, but it needs a revision badly. In its current form it misleads as much as it illuminates. Ms Thapar, please update your book!