THE SHORTEST HISTORY OF INDIA

THE SHORTEST HISTORY OF INDIA JOHN ZUBRZYCKI

One of the oldest civilizations and the largest democracy in the world, India is an amalgam of customs, races, castes, languages and spiritual beliefs, woven together over 5,000 years of wonderfully colossal and chaotic history. From the earliest humans and the Harappan civilization to Muslim invaders, the Great Mughals, British rule, the country’s struggle for autonomy and present-day hopes and challenges, John Zubrzycki masterfully condenses five millennia of deities, mutinies, wars, great empires, decadent dynasties, invasions, colonization and independence into a fascinating, lively telling. He brings the complex and contrasting layers of Indian history to life through a well-known cast of characters – Buddha, Alexander the Great, Akbar, Clive, Tipu Sultan, Lakshmi Bai, Curzon, Jinnah and Mahatma Gandhi – against a backdrop of the mystical Ganges, the desert forts of Rajasthan, the snow-covered Himalayas and the ruins of India’s fabled civilizations. From Buddhism to Bollywood, India has made its mark on Asia and the world. Its progress in tackling poverty and illiteracy have been impressive, but extraordinary challenges remain – not least the threat to its secular fabric. Only time will tell if India can overcome its political, social and religious tensions to rise again and become the next global superpower. John Zubrzycki is an Australian author with a PhD in Indian history from the University of New South Wales. He is the author of books such as The Last Nizam: The Rise and Fall of India’s Greatest Princely State, Jadoowallahs, Jugglers and Jinns: A Magical History of India and House of Jaipur: The Inside Story of India’s Most Glamorous Royal Family.​​​​​​​