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John Keay
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India: A History Kindle Edition

by John Keay (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 1,223 ratings
The British historian and author of Into India delivers “a history that is intelligent, incisive, and eminently readable” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).
 
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.
 
“Keay’s panoramic vision and multidisciplinary approach serves the function of all great historical writing. It illuminates the present.” —Thrity Umrigar, The Boston Globe
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  1. Print length
    1081 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Grove Press
  4. Publication date
    April 12, 2011
  5. File size
    14.9 MB
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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.
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  2. Historically it was Europe, not India, which consistently made religion grounds for war and the state an instrument of persecution.
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  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

Amazon.com Review

The history of what is now India stretches back thousands of years, further than that of nearly any other region on earth. Yet, observes historian John Keay, most historical work on India concentrates on the period after the arrival of Europeans, with predictable biases, distortions, and misapprehensions. One, for example, is the tendency to locate the source of social conflict in India's many religions--to which Keay retorts, "Historically, it was Europe, not India, which consistently made religion grounds for war."

Taking the longest possible view, Keay surveys what is both provable and invented in the historical record. His narrative begins in 3000 B.C., with the complex, and little-understood, Harappan period, a time of state formation and the development of agriculture and trade networks. This period coincides with the arrival of Indo-European invaders, the so-called Aryans, whose name, of course, has been put to bad use at many points since. Keay traces the growth of subsequent states and kingdoms throughout antiquity and the medieval period, suggesting that the lack of unified government made the job of the European conquerors somewhat easier--but by no means inevitable. He continues to the modern day, his narrative ending with Indian-Pakistani conflicts in 1998.

Fluently told and well documented, Keay's narrative history is of much value to students and general readers with an interest in India's past and present. --Gregory McNamee

From Publishers Weekly

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. No apologist for Britannia's rule, British historian Keay (Into India, etc.) gives the lie to comforting fantasies of the British Raj as the benevolently run "Jewel in the Crown." For most Indians, "Pax Britannica meant mainly 'Tax Britannica,'" he writes. Nor was British-ruled India peaceful, he adds, because India became a launch pad for British wars against Indonesia, Nepal and Burma, for the invasion of Afghanistan and the quashing of native revolts--often with the coerced participation of Indian troops. Finally, the Raj was "Axe Britannica," beginning the extensive deforestation of the subcontinent and the systematic suppression of its rural economy. Keay challenges much conventional scholarship in a dispassionate chronicle based largely on a fresh look at primary sources. For instance, the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, enthroned in 268 B.C., is revered because he preached tolerance and renounced armed violence, yet Keay notes that, contrary to popular opinion, Ashoka never specifically abjured warfare nor did he disband his army. Keay concludes this illustrated history by astutely surveying India's erratic progress in the half-century since independence, marked by communal violence, resurgence of regional interests and the rise of Hindu nationalism. This careful study serves up a banquet for connoisseurs and serious students of India. (Mar.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004UN6P0M
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grove Press; Revised, Expanded edition (April 12, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 12, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 14.9 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 1081 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 1,223 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
1,223 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this history book provides good detailed coverage of India's history, with one noting its emphasis on ancient times and prehistory. The text is easy to read, though some find it disorganized, and they appreciate the maps and illustrations throughout. The color scheme receives mixed reactions, with some finding it colorful while others say it's not pretty. The narrative pace is criticized for being rushed at the end.

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83 customers mention "History content"71 positive12 negative

Customers praise the book's comprehensive coverage of Indian history, noting its deep research and factual content.

"In 3000 pages this covers the range of Indian history, including Pakistan and Bangladesh, from the Harrapan civilization of 3000 BC to the present..." Read more

"...In that context, it is a great book for those interested in Indian history. For those interested in a short summary, look elsewhere...." Read more

"This is quite a unique book in the sense that it accounts for all the history of India (and in the final chapters of Pakistan and Bangladesh) from..." Read more

"...diversity of cultures, languages, religions, and ethnic groups provide so much material that it must be very difficult to decide what to write about..." Read more

52 customers mention "Readability"48 positive4 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as wonderful and a great read that expands knowledge. One customer notes it serves as an excellent resource for casual readers.

"...For my purposes, I find the book to be quite good...." Read more

"This is quite a unique book in the sense that it accounts for all the history of India (and in the final chapters of Pakistan and Bangladesh) from..." Read more

"...through, but I think that India, A History is an excellent resource for the casual reader to learn about the history of India...." Read more

"...For this reason, I will still consider it a worthwhile addition to my library." Read more

14 customers mention "Map content"11 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the maps and illustrations in the book, finding them nicely diagrammed and well-accompanied. One customer specifically mentions the helpful dynastic diagrams, while another notes the many pictures that accompany the text.

"...manner with clear language and explanations, and many pictures to accompany the text. Precisly what I was looking for!..." Read more

"...The maps and charts are adequate, though my Kindle Paperwhite still does not handle graphics very well...." Read more

"...The maps, and there are many of them, are excellent and the dynastic diagrams are helpful if one wishes to delve that deeply into the subject...." Read more

"...The maps do not aid much in understanding the text...." Read more

71 customers mention "Pacing"45 positive26 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some finding it well-written and easy to read, while others describe it as disorganized and note that the details can be overwhelming at times.

"...a similar general history of India 15 years ago and this book is far better written and includes much recent scholarship...." Read more

"...I am dinging one star for not condensing the overly detailed conquests and bloodlines of comparatively trival houses, as I just feel that, while..." Read more

"...'s in a rather detailed and chronologically organized manner with clear language and explanations, and many pictures to accompany the text...." Read more

"...It is a worthwhile read, since there is a lot of information that is not often taught or discussed and certainly should not be forgotten, but the..." Read more

8 customers mention "Color scheme"5 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the color scheme of the book, with some finding it a colorful part of the world while others say it's not pretty.

"...I think that Keay's style is definitely engaging & non-partisan...." Read more

"...charts are adequate, though my Kindle Paperwhite still does not handle graphics very well...." Read more

"...He uses very colorful and sometimes quaint language. I enjoyed it and so gave it 4 stars." Read more

"...to get an introduction to this fascinating, wonderful and colorful part of the world." Read more

8 customers mention "Narrative pace"0 positive8 negative

Customers find the narrative pace of the book unsatisfactory, with one customer noting that it feels rushed at the end, while another mentions that it has many parallel storylines in different regions.

"...The pace picks up substantially in the last half century leaving one with a sense of a gallop to a finish...." Read more

"...records in the pre-muslim period and the many parallel storylines in different regions...." Read more

"...That is where Keay fails most conspicuously. There is no overriding theme to the narrative and even his chapters, which are divided into convenient..." Read more

"...This tends to interrupt the narrative flow, and the grand arc of the story in the history gets lost...." Read more

New book came damaged
4 out of 5 stars
New book came damaged
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

  • 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
    Verified Purchase
    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.
    30 people found this helpful
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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
    Verified Purchase
    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.
    87 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
    Verified Purchase
    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.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Amateur Reader
    5.0 out of 5 stars Must-buy
    Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This is quite a unique book in the sense that it accounts for all the history of India (and in the final chapters of Pakistan and Bangladesh) from the very beginning to the last 2000's in a rather detailed and chronologically organized manner with clear language and explanations, and many pictures to accompany the text. Precisly what I was looking for!

    In spite of some strange (and poor jabs) at Ancient Greek language and values (e.g. the inferiority in the expressiveness of Ancient Greek compared to Sanskrit while contrary to Modern Greek, Hindustani was unable to draw from Sanskrit to modernize the language to the admission of the author) I would most definitely give this book top marks and would whole heartedly recommend it to anyone who wants to read about the history of the Indian subcontinent.
    10 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • パメラ
    5.0 out of 5 stars A very readable complete history
    Reviewed in Japan on October 13, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    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.
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  • conjunction
    5.0 out of 5 stars More readable than other reviewers say!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 25, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I should explain that I only read the second half of this book, from about 1600 when the British became involved. I bought it because I wanted to know more about the British East India Company, and also wanted an overview of the history since partition.

    For these purposes the book was great.

    On Amazon.co.uk many reviews refer to the book being hard work to read, and many American reviews describe it as dry.

    I found it neither, although it did take me thirty or forty pages to tune into the author's style, which is really high-grade journalism, not to question his scholarship. It reads like an articulate lecture by someone who thoroughly understands his subject.

    One reviewer said you need some prior knowledge. Perhaps you do. I came to the book with knowledge of post-independence India being only what I had gleaned from newspapers over the years, but that was enough. I had also many years ago read Gandhi's autobiography, which is a book that sticks in the mind.

    Regarding the East India Company and the development of British rule, Keay dispels any notion of the British as avuncular colonists. When push came to shove they were decisive and at times brutal. We Brits like to appear as nice imperialists. Effective yes; nice, not unless it was convenient.

    Having said that the Brits and Indians appear to have had a certain mutual regard.

    The story since independence is complex and fast-moving and I felt Keay told the story with conviction. He doesn't burden his text with footnotes, jargon or prevarication and plonks his opinion down on the page, which is just as well given how much he has to tell.

    He has a tendency to try and see the positive in authoritarian actions by different rulers, for example Indira Gandhi and Bhutto. Gandhi instituted a rule of emergency but according to Keay she did it temporarily in order to sort out a raft of administrative disasters, which she did before returning the country to democracy.

    I enjoyed what I read of this book very much and would recommend it.
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  • Avi
    5.0 out of 5 stars Elaborative but hard language.
    Reviewed in India on February 14, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Do the language is quite hard but the analysis is elaborative and unbiased view towards the history of India.
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    Avi
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Elaborative but hard language.

    Reviewed in India on February 14, 2025
    Do the language is quite hard but the analysis is elaborative and unbiased view towards the history of India.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect
    Reviewed in Canada on May 24, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Very happy with books! Shipping was good, Thankyou!
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  • Niclas Grabowski
    5.0 out of 5 stars Lesen macht Freude
    Reviewed in Germany on March 21, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    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.
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