This was perhaps one of the most anticipated books I have ever read. The anticipation owes itself to the fact that this was the fourth time that I had flipped the cover of this book and started reading it. Long ago, when I was in class 10th or so, I was gifted this book as a read by a man who has had much to do with my current reading habits. I used to enjoy history quite a bit in those days. But somehow, I never got around to finishing the book, or even reading the first quarter of it, until eventually it went travelling through hands in Roorkee and ultimately became untraceable. Sometime back, I remembered the book and as luck would have it, flipkart had a new edition to offer. The order was placed without hesitation.
The book is a marvelous piece of general study. For anyone who has ever had a fascination for Indian history of any age, there is more in here to fuel the spell-bind. Keay's love for the subcontinent and its history is evident and so is his research and the travel he has undertook to personally visit some of the sites described.
The book starts at the earliest of ages known to belong to the subcontinent. The Harappans are scrutinized as the enigma that they are. Then the ages move onwards to the Aryans, Mauryas, Guptas, and eventually to the Mughals, the Raj and independent India. There is no story to be told. Just history as the historians documented it and as others perceive it.
Keay's effort in compiling this piece of historical study is apparent. The most remarkable feature of Keay's writing is that he keeps his opinions to himself. The history shown is largely unbiased (or at least not blatantly biased). The author provides quite a few contradicting opinions prevalent on a debated historical topic (and there are numerous such topics), with a slight tilt towards his personal belief, but leaves the reader free to do his own research and form his own opinion. This in itself increases the enthusiasm in reading by manifold.
This book re-lit the love for history I used to have as a boy. The fact that I read the entire modern history of India without much strain is a testimony to Keay's writing skills, for nothing bored me as much as modern Indian history. I will try to find comparable historical readings, failing which I will revert to something more conventional.
The book is a marvelous piece of general study. For anyone who has ever had a fascination for Indian history of any age, there is more in here to fuel the spell-bind. Keay's love for the subcontinent and its history is evident and so is his research and the travel he has undertook to personally visit some of the sites described.
The book starts at the earliest of ages known to belong to the subcontinent. The Harappans are scrutinized as the enigma that they are. Then the ages move onwards to the Aryans, Mauryas, Guptas, and eventually to the Mughals, the Raj and independent India. There is no story to be told. Just history as the historians documented it and as others perceive it.
Keay's effort in compiling this piece of historical study is apparent. The most remarkable feature of Keay's writing is that he keeps his opinions to himself. The history shown is largely unbiased (or at least not blatantly biased). The author provides quite a few contradicting opinions prevalent on a debated historical topic (and there are numerous such topics), with a slight tilt towards his personal belief, but leaves the reader free to do his own research and form his own opinion. This in itself increases the enthusiasm in reading by manifold.
This book re-lit the love for history I used to have as a boy. The fact that I read the entire modern history of India without much strain is a testimony to Keay's writing skills, for nothing bored me as much as modern Indian history. I will try to find comparable historical readings, failing which I will revert to something more conventional.
