1. Ancient India
Ancient India follows the subcontinent from the cities of the Indus Valley civilisation through the Vedic age and the rise of large kingdoms to the Maurya Empire. It examines political organisation, religion, trade, warfare and social change, including the development of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions.…
2. History of India
History of India provides a broad survey of the subcontinent from ancient civilisation through medieval kingdoms and empires to colonial rule and the modern nation-state. It covers major political changes alongside the development of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Sikhism, long-distance trade and regional cultures. The book…
3. History of the Sikhs
History of the Sikhs follows Sikhism from the teachings of Guru Nanak and the succession of the Gurus to the creation of the Khalsa and the rise of Sikh political power in Punjab. It examines the Sikh Empire under Ranjit Singh, the Anglo-Sikh wars and the…
4. The British Raj
The British Raj examines direct Crown rule in India from the aftermath of the 1857 rebellion to independence and partition in 1947. It explains the structures of colonial administration, the Indian Army, railways and economic change while also tracing the growth of nationalist politics and resistance…
5. The Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company examines the Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, founded in 1602 to coordinate Dutch trade and warfare in Asia. It follows the company’s commercial networks, fortified settlements and military expansion from the Indonesian archipelago to the Indian Ocean and East Asia, with Batavia at…
6. The East India Company
The East India Company traces the English trading corporation from its charter in 1600 to its transformation into a territorial power in South Asia. It explains how commercial competition, private armies and alliances with Indian rulers allowed the company to expand, particularly after victories such as…
7. The Maurya Empire
The Maurya Empire examines the first great empire to unite much of the Indian subcontinent, founded by Chandragupta Maurya in the late fourth century BC. It follows the expansion and administration of the state and gives particular attention to Ashoka, whose conquest of Kalinga was followed…
8. The Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire traces the dynasty founded by Babur in the sixteenth century and its expansion across much of the Indian subcontinent. It follows rulers including Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, examining warfare, administration, religion, court culture and monumental architecture. The book also explores relations…
9. The Sikh Wars
The Sikh Wars recounts the two nineteenth-century conflicts between the Sikh Empire of Punjab and the British East India Company. It explains the political instability that followed the death of Ranjit Singh, the power of the Khalsa army and the tensions along the Sutlej frontier. The…