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gentle_garbage_baby's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
3.75
A very dense read, but a very informative one. Thapar covers a lot of ground in this book, from the caste system, Indian kings, battles, religion, etc. as well as a huge time period. A good read for someone interested in the history of the Indian Subcontinent.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism
Minor: War and Slavery
raghuiyer's review against another edition
3.0
This is a good summary of other works. The period spanned by this book is pretty big and I found myself getting lost in some of the narrative. The structure is pretty taut and covers a lot of ground. It does tend to gloss over aspects of peninsular megalithic cultures. As a first book on peninsular culture though, it works really well. 3.5.
maitrey_d's review against another edition
5.0
It's more of a social history, concentrating in movements of groups of people say into South India, or how guilds might have conducted trade in the "middle ages"; rather than on the exploits of rulers and the battles they fought. The book was a real eye opener for me.
Romila Thapar is the most balanced and respected historian in the country presently and has no leanings (Marxist or Communalist).
Romila Thapar is the most balanced and respected historian in the country presently and has no leanings (Marxist or Communalist).
tamiltamarin's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
5.0
An excellent starting point for a vast and daunting topic
jonvarner's review against another edition
4.0
This is a pretty dry textbook history of medieval India. What makes it interesting--and what has inspired the flood of 1-star reviews from Hindutva ideologues--is how Thapar delves into the shifting development of the caste system over time.
shanth's review against another edition
2.0
The first half of the book is quite interesting where Thapar talks about historiography and how biases and agendas of diverse groups affect their periodization and narrative of history, and the book begins quite promisingly with a the description of the social milieu. However, in the later chapters, especially after the Gupta empire or so the book becomes too unfocussed and difficult to follow when it ends up as a listing of too many facts without any sort of clear thread of events. Sure, history is sometimes like that and forcing an ideological narrative is not something I want, but it should be possible to have a somewhat loose narrative thread of sorts to make it easier to make sense of what's going on. Another really annoying thing was the lack of any diacritics in the transcription scheme for Prakrit/Sanskrit terms which confuses long/short vowels, and some consonants.
Overall, the first few chapters are a fairly good introduction to early India, but it gets too disorganised to follow soon after.
Overall, the first few chapters are a fairly good introduction to early India, but it gets too disorganised to follow soon after.
aprilbosworth's review against another edition
4.0
When I asked a friend from India for a good overview of Indian history, she recommended this one. A few years later I have finished it. It's long, academic, and historical. But it is readable. I really appreciated the thoughtful structuring: various historical periods are each examined from the perspective of economics, cultural happenings, and society structure and interaction. While different things are known about different periods, it was nice to know that Ms. Thapar would look at each of the topics. I also found that her time period summaries (the last few paragraphs of each time period section) were succinct. If someone wanted to skim the book, reading the conclusion paragraphs would be a good way to do so.
I also appreciated the maps in the back of the book. I have never looked closely at the geography of India and I'm definitely unfamiliar with the historical names of places, so the maps which included specifically (and only) the names of the places discussed in a given section were very helpful.
I also appreciated the maps in the back of the book. I have never looked closely at the geography of India and I'm definitely unfamiliar with the historical names of places, so the maps which included specifically (and only) the names of the places discussed in a given section were very helpful.
inept_scholar's review against another edition
5.0
A very concise and crisp description of ancient and early medieval India. Romila Thapar is a very talented writer and historian who manages to hook you from the very first line. Besides the factual details, there is also an active engagement with primary sources through which the author offers her viewpoints and conclusions with clarity and reason. She also artfully critiques the political manipulation of certain historical narratives from this period and instead posits for a more a nuanced and balanced historical understanding. A must read for any amateur historian interested in Indian history.
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