Table of Contents

Introduction: History and the Environment 1. EARLY CIVILISATIONS OF THE NORTHWEST Prehistory and the Indus civilisation Immigration and settlement of the Indo-Aryans 2. THE GREAT ANCIENT EMPIRES The rise of the Gangetic culture and the great empires of the east The end of the Maurya empire and the northern invaders The classical age of the Guptas The rise of South India 3. THE REGIONAL KINGDOMS OF EARLY MEDIEVAL INDIA The rise and conflicts of regional kingdoms Kings, princes and priests: the structure of Hindu realms God's, temples and poets: the growth of regional cultures India's impact on Southeast Asia: causes and consequences 4. RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES AND MILITARY FEUDALISM IN THE LATE MIDDLE AGES The Islamic conquest of northern India and the sultanate of Delhi The states of central and southern India in the period of the sultanate of Delhi 5. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE MUGHAL EMPIRE The Great Mughals and their adversaries Indian landpower and European seapower The struggle for supremacy in India 6. THE PERIOD OF COLONIAL RULE Company Bahadur: trader and ruler Imperial structure and the regional impact The pattern of constitutional reform 7. THE FREEDOM MOVEMENT AND THE PARTITION OF INDIA The Indian freedom movement The partition of India 8. THE REPUBLIC Internal affairs: political and economic development External affairs: global and regional dimensions PERSPECTIVES Bibliography and notes Chronology Maps Index Civilisations of the Northwest

Reviews

"Kulke and Rothermund's work provides an authoritative and detailed account of the structural pattern of Indian history. Through first rate scholarship, the authors have done a fabulous work in delineating the various nuances of India's glorius historical past while presenting readers with a much needed and highly readable survey." Mohammed Badrul Alam, Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi