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India: A History. Revised and Updated Paperback – April 12, 2011

by John Keay (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,149 ratings
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Fully revised with forty thousand new words that take the reader up to present-day India, John Keay’s India: A History spans five millennia in a sweeping narrative that tells the story of the peoples of the subcontinent, from their ancient beginnings in the valley of the Indus to the events in the region today.

In charting the evolution of the rich tapestry of cultures, religions, and peoples that comprise the modern nations of Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh, Keay weaves together insights from a variety of scholarly fields to create a rich historical narrative. Wide-ranging and authoritative, India: A History is a compelling epic portrait of one of the world’s oldest and most richly diverse civilizations.

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    640 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Grove Press
  4. Publication date
    April 12, 2011
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 2 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0802145582
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0802145581
  8. See all details
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  1. Clearly Harappan settlements were not just India’s first cities and townships but its first, indeed the world’s first, planned cities and townships.
    Highlighted by 284 Kindle readers
  2. Historically it was Europe, not India, which consistently made religion grounds for war and the state an instrument of persecution.
    Highlighted by 253 Kindle readers
  3. India’s history as currently understood must be seen as beginning with two woefully unconnected cultures.
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  4. Again, the Harappans may have been the first in the world to use wheeled transport.
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Editorial Reviews

Review


“Keay’s panoramic vision and multidisciplinary approach serves the function of all great historical writing. It illuminates the present.” —Thrity Umrigar, The Boston Globe

“A handsomely published book with over sixty wonderful relevant maps, charts, and tables, and a plethora of beautiful illustrations, many of them in color. . . . Keay deals well with India’s long and intricate history. . . . Keay’s treatment of early India is often sprinkled with his passionate eloquence, which is also evident in the rest of the book. . . . One of the best to be published in the field for some time and could be read to great advantage by students of Indian history and by those who enjoy history in general.” —Bawa Satinder Singh, The Journal of Asian Studies

“A superb one-volume history of a land that defies reduction into simple narrative . . . Without peer among general studies, a history that is intelligent, incisive, and eminently readable.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Ambitious . . . [Keay] carefully uncovers India’s prehistory—a great challenge given that the ancient Indians left no texts—and skillfully describes the evolving Indian concepts of kingship, statecraft, and military strategy.” —Lucian W. Pye, Foreign Affairs

“A comprehensive account . . . A robust book.” —Amit Roy, India Today

“It is hard to imagine anyone succeeding more gracefully in producing a balanced overview than John Keay has done. . . . One can only hope that Keay’s India will be widely read, and its lessons taken to heart.” —William Dalrymple, The Guardian (London)

“Sweeping from the ancient brick cities of Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, built in the Indus Valley around 2000 b.c., to modern India’s urban middle class armed with computers and cell phones, this erudite, panoramic history captures the flow of Indian civilization. . . . A banquet for connoisseurs and serious students of India.” —Publishers Weekly

About the Author

John Keay is a historian, writer, and world-renowned South Asia expert. He is the author of nineteen books, including Into India, India Discovered and China: A History.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grove Press; Revised, Expanded edition (April 12, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 640 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0802145582
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0802145581
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.78 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 2 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,149 ratings

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John Keay

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
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Everything about this purchase was fine, EXCEPT the back cover was bent and torn. Because of the hassle to return it, I decided to keep it, but I am not happy.
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Top reviews from the United States

Gerard M. St-cyr
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2024
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Well written!
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Kirk
4.0 out of 5 stars A detailed review of the history of India
Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2011
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First off, let me explain why I wanted to read this book. I realized a few years ago that there were massive parts of the world, for example the "Middle East" and China, about whose history I knew nothing. I couldn't have told you what the lands of Arabia were like prior to the present day, or when the imperial age ended in China, etc. So I started to collect and read some history books that gave the reader an overview of the known history of a particular region. Thus far, I've read such a book about the Middle East and China. India was next for me.

My review, then, is based on my judgment about the book as in introduction to and survey of the history of the region of world currently known as India. For my purposes, I find the book to be quite good. India seems to defy extensive historical summary because of the many different people who have lived in the region throughout history and the relative lack of documentation detailing the early history of those people and their political associations. Like China, India's multitude of kingdoms had elastic borders, with many contemporary nations occupying the subcontinent at any given time. Referring to India as a single entity is often a geographical convenience more than a reality of governance.

That Keay is knowledgeable about the history of the region is certain, and his book's approach to describing the cultural and political factors that set the events of India's history to movement is certainly informative. There are a few points in the book, however, where relating the myths and legends of the people are too seemlessly blended with the narrative of the historical fact (or theory, as the facts are often in dispute).

As a simple consequence of the complexity of the topic, the crush of information (like the list of a regions of a monarch's conquests, for example) can overwhelm to the point of diluting understanding. I would have found the descriptions more informative if I had been provided with more of a summary of the historical significance of a king or kingdom, providing the list-like information bracketed as a section. The names of the conquered in a particular conquest are not useful for such a coarse view of India's history, and their listing exhausts the reader.

There is one weakness that I attribute to the information presented. When studying a large region, I like to have a feel for where in the geography of the region a certain thing or event was located. Keay does mention place names, but from the very outset of the book, I had the feeling that I would be getting more out of the book if I was more familiar with the geography of India. For example (for those like me with a knowledge of U.S. geography), imagine reading a passage that described an area stretching from Salt Lake City to Nashville - not a very useful description for a person not familiar with at least the general location of those cities within the overall geographic region. One cannot easily envision whether this is a large area or a small area, north, south or centralized, near the borders or far from them without at least a feel for their position. I recommend reading this book alongside a good map.

For generalists unfamiliar with the topic, I also recommend reading the book with a personal list of non-English terms that are presented in the book. Although Keay does a good job of explaining and introducing concepts that are best expressed in the native language, it is easy to forget many pages later what the deccan, arya-varta, hind, stupa, etc. etc. refer to exactly.

The weaknesses of the book are far outweighed by the book's strengths - at least for my stated purposes. The author's style is reasonably readable given the often-times dry material. I am dinging one star for not condensing the overly detailed conquests and bloodlines of comparatively trival houses, as I just feel that, while important to the student of India's history, they are out of place in a survey this general, and dilute the most salient points of interest of these ancient kingdoms. Still, I shouldn't complain about getting exactly what I asked for, which is a complete history of India from the earliest extant knowledge to the present day.
78 people found this helpful
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Phil Dolliff
5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant and well written, if long, general history of India
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2015
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This is an outstanding general history of India and is strongly recommended. The narrative is very well written and organized, making it a very useful broad discussion of Indian history. I had read a similar general history of India 15 years ago and this book is far better written and includes much recent scholarship.

There a few minor challenges to the book, in particular its introduction to the European presence in India is weak but it eventually recovers the narrative as the British presence becomes a real factor in India.

All that said, this book is long. In that context, it is a great book for those interested in Indian history. For those interested in a short summary, look elsewhere.

I read this book to prepare for a my first tourist trip to India and loved it -- it brought to life the great palaces in Delhi and Agra and made real the forces that shaped India such as modern nationalism, the Raj, and the Chola.
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Blaise Wagner
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent detailed overview---perhaps too detailed for some readers
Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2019
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In 3000 pages this covers the range of Indian history, including Pakistan and Bangladesh, from the Harrapan civilization of 3000 BC to the present day.

The first few chapters discuss archaeology as well as history, since there are no written records of the Harrapan civilization, and records are scarce for later civilizations, including the period in which the epic poems Mahabharata and Ramayana were written, as well as the life of Buddha. The historical record starts appearing with the reign of Ashoka who left inscriptions on numerous columns around the country, but it is fragmentary for many centuries after that.

There was more detail on the subsequent dynasties than I could absorb on a first reading. A second reading might help. Some readers might prefer studying a less complete introduction like the excellent series of videos, Story of India, produced by Michael Wood.

A high point in the book is a discussion of Mughals, Muslim invaders who are responsible for many of the most impressive Indian monuments, including the Taj Mahal, and the Fatehpur Sikri of Akbar the Great. The rulers from this period seem to have been psychopaths who did not flinch from killing brothers or fathers in order to achieve the throne.

Although there were efforts in India to foster tolerance between Muslims and Hindus, independence led to a fracturing of India, first into India and Pakistan along religious lines, with East Pakistan becoming an independent state, Bangladesh. Hundreds of thousands lost their lives when forced to move to states consistent with their religious beliefs.

At partition in 1947 the population of India was 330 million Indians and about 30 million each in East and West Pakistan. The population of India has quadrupled since then, and the populations of Pakistan and Bangladesh have increased by a factor of about 6.

We live on a finite planet. Such population growth is unsustainable. One wonders why the British and the Indians themselves did not realize that continued population growth would produce continued poverty.

There was an effort to establish a form of democracy, although it was corrupted to a form of “demockery” to quote one of the chapter titles. But can democracy work when the people are malnourished? Or are demagogues inevitable?

Perhaps one needs a benevolent autocracy at least for poor countries, although such autocracies are rare. The China autocracy introduced a one-child policy in 1979. It is amazing that more people don’t notice the vast difference in outcomes.

China now vies with the US for economic dominance, while malnutrition is still a source of early death for many in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. This in spite of the Green Revolution.

And time has been lost. Population growth cannot continue forever. In fact, it leads to global warming, which threatens human extinction.

The simple use of birth control would alleviate much suffering and might help India achieve higher living standards, as well as curb sectarian violence in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
29 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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britto robert
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth a read!!
Reviewed in India on April 12, 2024
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A brilliant compilation of India and its deep history
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MARCOS ANGELO GRIMONE
5.0 out of 5 stars Ótimo
Reviewed in Brazil on June 13, 2020
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Livro essencial para conhecer a Índia. Gostei bastante porque pouco conheço a região. Leitura agradável.
2 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect
Reviewed in Canada on May 24, 2020
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Very happy with books! Shipping was good, Thankyou!
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Pamela
5.0 out of 5 stars A very readable complete history
Reviewed in Japan on October 13, 2017
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A very readable history of such an ancient and great civilization. Usually these kinds complete histories can be so stifling and boring — lists of dates and battles and kings. — but this book keep you interested and keeps you coming back for more. John Keay is a fascinating story teller. But this is not a story, it is real history, made quite interesting by his excellent writing.
2 people found this helpful
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Niclas Grabowski
5.0 out of 5 stars Lesen macht Freude
Reviewed in Germany on March 21, 2013
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Das mit der indischen Geschichte ist nicht ganz einfach. Nicht nur ist diese für den Leser ein schreckliches Durcheinander von diversen Kulturen und Reichen, auch die indischen Namen sind nicht immer ganz einfach zu merken - zumal diese gelegentlich auch noch mehrfach Verwendung finden. Und dann gibt es auch noch das Problem, dass man sich über vieles streiten kann, weil die Überlieferung bis in die frühe Neuzeit eben nicht gerade anwenderfreundlich ist, also man auf viele Punkte nur indirekt schließen kann. Und das macht dann die Geschichtsschreibung in Indien zu einem Minenfeld, denn dort soll aus der fernen Vergangenheit auch immer mal wieder die eine oder andere Tagespolitik begründet werden. Als Beispiel für diese Diskussionen müssen wohl auch der Prozess und die Einordnung der arischen Einwanderung gelten.

John Keay macht aus dieser Situation eine ganze Menge. Obwohl das Buch nicht gerade kurz ist, erzählt er nicht sklavisch alle Details nach sondern setzt Schwerpunkte, die ihm dann erlauben, die wesentlichen Gründe und Argumente für bestimmte Theorien nachvollziehbar machen. Ganz undogmatisch entscheidet er sich dann für eine wahrscheinliche Theorie als Grundlage seiner Darstellung, lässt aber offen, ob nicht spätere Funde oder bessere Argumente noch einmal zu einer anderen Wertung führen können. Im Kern folgt er dabei Leitlinien, die sich auch in anderen Büchern über indische Geschichte finden, er bewegt sich also auf sicheren akademischen Boden. Das einzelne seiner Stellungnahmen aber dennoch hier auf Amazon kritisiert werden, ist vieleicht verständlich, stellt aber aus meiner Sicht keine wirkliche Kritik am Buch selbst dar.

Eine Freude zu lesen ist dieses Buch aber aus einem anderen Grund: Es ist einfach sehr, sehr gut geschrieben. Ich habe einmal gelesen, dass man sich dann etwas gut merken kann, wenn man eine emotionale Verbindung zu etwas entwickelt. Und da ist es mit dem Lernen von Daten und Fakten aus der indischen Geschichte eben nicht ganz einfach. Ein Reich, ein Herrscher scheint jeweils seinen Vorgänger abgelöst zu haben, ohne dass sich in der Struktur der Herrschaft wirklich etwas verändert hat. Anders: Es fällt eben gerade nicht so einfach, aufgrund der überlieferten Faktenlage die Guten und die Bösen in dieser Geschichte zu identifizieren. Keay sucht sich aber aus den vorhandenen Informationen das heraus, was die handelnden Menschen in dieser Geschichte lebendig werden lässt, er baut auf einzelnen, überlieferten Anekdoten auf und macht daraus kleine Biographien. Und die bleiben dann im Gedächtnis. Dass daneben auch die strukturellen Veränderungen dargestellt werden (Beispiel: Entwicklung der Administration bis hin zum Reich der Mogul), macht das dann zu einer wirklich gelungenen Gesamtansicht.
4 people found this helpful
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