Customer Reviews

India: An Introduction

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As the title implies, this is not and extensive history of India. At 212 pages, plus index, it is just an introduction. That 'introduction', however, does not limit the time period covered. Singh provides it all. As in any book about India, it is impossible to separate the political history from the religious history. They have been and are intimately intertwined.

His treatment of the religions of India take up nearly the first half of the book. They are fairly and adequately described. From there, he takes us through the political history which builds on the religious element.

I like to read books, both fiction and non-fiction, by Indian authors and by others about the country. I use the non-fiction as reference books to look up specific information. I was wanting an overview book that would provide the context of those references. This book was just what I wanted.

This material was taken from lectures Singh had given over the years. He revised and added material in 1998. Unfortunately, those additions underwent little editing and no corrections have been made in subsequent reprintings. This only affects the last few dozen pages and is not a major problem.

This book would serve well as a 'cram' source. Do not, though, start underlining as you read. There is no fluff in this book and you would be marking the vast majority of the material. If you have an interest in India's history but are not wanting an extensive depth of knowledge, I heartily recommend this.