'India': Historian Audrey Truschke offers sweeping history of subcontinent in new book

New Delhi, Jun 22 (PTI) Covering a period of five thousand years -- from the Indus Valley Civilization to the present day -- renowned historian Audrey Truschke's new book, "India", provides readers with a comprehensive narrative of the region’s political, religious, and cultural development.

Published by Princeton University Press and distributed in India by Penguin Random House, the book is hailed as a powerful and timely work that reshapes our understanding of the Indian subcontinent.

"This book includes a little of everything, including cultural, religious, social, literary, economic, and intellectual histories. I trace larger trends, such as India’s first urbanization (third millennium BCE), second urbanization (first millennium BCE), the advent of temple-based Hindu practices (first millennium CE), and the spread of Indo-Persian culture (second millennium CE).

"I also take significant forays into biographical history, detailing the lives of individuals from Ashoka (third century BCE) to Pandita Ramabai (nineteenth century CE)," Truschke, author of controversial Mughal emperor "Aurangzeb: The Man and the Myth", writes in the book.

Covering key moments -- from the rise of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam to the Mughal Empire, European colonization, Partition, and the rise of Hindu nationalism -- the book situates South Asia within a broader global context of migration, trade, and ideas.

It goes beyond traditional textbook chronologies to highlight the lived experiences of emperors, rebels, philosophers, women, religious minorities, and ordinary individuals who contributed to the rich and diverse history of the subcontinent.

According to the publisher, "India" is essential reading for anyone -- whether a history student, a global citizen, or someone simply curious about one of the world’s most dynamic and complex regions.

"Rarely has a five-thousand-year history been written with such careful attention to the lives and experiences of everyday people. In Truschke's telling, the story of India comes alive, and we hear the voices of an astonishingly broad range of people, from politicians to poets, religious leaders to artists, and men and women across castes and languages. It is a pleasure to bring this fresh and vibrant view into India's past to new readers," said Priya Nelson, senior editor for History at Princeton University Press.

"India: 5,000 Years of History on the Subcontinent", priced at Rs 4,302, is available for purchase across online and offline stores. PTI MG MG MG