This book is not an in-depth study of Indian history and culture. Instead it is an easy-to-read work which attempts to present India in a nutshell. While countless books have been written about the history and culture of this great country, most are comprehensive and extensive, providing detailed information as well as insightful interpretations of India’s complicated past. For this reason, they may be perceived as cumbersome tomes by readers looking for basic facts and simple information. A book of this kind fulfils this need for brevity.
This book was written for the overseas Indian or non-Indian who is keen to familiarise himself with Indian history and culture. It presents all the major episodes of India’s fascinating past, from the early days of the Indus Valley Civilisation to the traumatic partition of the Indian subcontinent and the post-independence years. The attempt, as far as possible, has been to present the basic information about each period of Indian history without delving into extensive interpretation and analysis.
Dates and certain details in this book, particularly those related to ancient Indian history, may vary from other sources. This is because of the absence of documented information about this period. However, the attempt has been to present reliable information about the history of India, as well as interesting details about its philosophy, religions, festivals, music, dance, films, literature, art and crafts.