Exploring Early India's History: From the Beginning to AD 1300 with The Penguin History of Early India

At what price you purchased?: An amazing mind boggling read

India on Mar 15, 2024

Aritra G.: Very well researched work. Thorough and easily comprehensible.

India on Feb 11, 2024

Shaun Yip: Romila Thapar is a prolific historian of Ancient India, and this sprawling book is her attempt to re-write Indian history through the lens of a modified Marxist perspective, drawing from archaeology and historical sources to shape her narrative.

My interest stems mostly from the archaeological perspective. It is disappointing to see Thapar use and misuse archaeological data to fit her narrative. One of her claims is that the identity/location of the vanished Sarasvati River of Rig Veda fame is 'controversial'. Actually it's not controversial at all. Even at the time of writing it had already been identified (for decades) as the present day Ghaggar-Hakra River. Equally dubious is her claim that horses and chariots were mostly unknown during Harrapan times. She states that the clearly identifiable bones of a horse dating from that period are somehow problematic. Clearly identified is not problematic(!) Yet only a few years ago an entire chariot was discovered which blew away the myth that horses and chariots were unknown in Ancient India.

I had no firm opinion of Thapar going into this book, though she is highly controversial and negatively regarded by many in India;...

Australia on Apr 05, 2022

Koko Garden: In recent decades our understanding of history haa changed, e.g. the Aryan invasion theory. Thapar has revised the book accordingly. I am studying Sanskrit, and this helps me connect many pieces.

United States on Sep 25, 2021

themighty: Great book from an amazing author and academic, a bit of a long read, however I would suggest it to anyone interested in South Asian history.

United Kingdom on Mar 17, 2021

Piyush Kumar: this is best history book I have read about ancient India. It is written with facts and can be believed.

Canada on Mar 09, 2016

KRISH PILLAI: As a historian Mrs Thaper is prolific writer. This book is not an exception. She has covered a the whole of Indian history for over 1500 years. A good reference guide for scholars as well as students of history.

United States on Mar 30, 2014

S. Ferguson: 1950s McCarthy-ism in India?

I am not Indian and I have no political agenda. I am a student of Sanskrit and the Sanskrit texts. Even though I am well aware of India's sufferings and very sympathetic to her, I do recommend that you read Romila Thapar for a balance in perspective. In many ways India will always remain an enigma, but as a veritable treasury of superb metaphysics, literature, music, and art, India is in my view unparalleled. The creativity of the Indian people, their sheer capacity for endurance and wisdom is awesome.

In my endless search to understand India I came across the lady historian, Romila Thapar. Thapar is highly respected by some and vilified by others. I want to share what I found with those who - like me - might not be aware. Frankly, when I first began reading her `Early India, From the Origins to AD 1300' my feeling was that she was a bit dry, western oriented, and tedious. Where was all the magic and mysticism I had loved in Alain Danielou's `A Brief History of India'? Then thanks to the Internet, I realized that Romila Thapar had made some serious enemies. This led me to further investigate and to learn why such a respected historian...

United States on Feb 02, 2013

S. Pactor: Here is something I've learned about Indian history: It is pretty controversial to write anything about Indian History. There is very little you can actually say or write about Indian history without angering someone who cares very passionately about the subject your are speaking or writing about. Undoubtably, the single biggest factor in aggravating the debate on Indian historical subjects is the "Hindu Nationalism Movement." People in the US who are even aware of this phenomenon typically describe it in political terms, for example, when writing about the actions of the BJP or "Bharatiya Janata Party" but it should surprise no one that Hindu Nationalist ideas extend directly into historical research, writing and debate. Hindu Nationalism inspired ideas take many forms in the discussion of Early Indian History.

First, there is the debate, now largely won, by the way, over whether the initial Vedic migration into India was an "invasion" or not. Obviously, Hindu Nationalists would rather have it be said that there was no invasion, and many would further argue that India is the home of ALL Indo European Languages. Well, the good news: No Aryan invasion, more like small scale...

United States on May 16, 2011

Fireside Chat: If you really want to learn about the history of India, then you'll need to examine the historiography of India, that is, the writing of history. This is where Thapar begins this book, by examining the different schools of thought regarding the history of India.
Some think Indian history can be boiled down to the Hindu vs Muslim angle, or the lost Golden Age angle, or the Victorian or Marxist angle. Thapar does not agree.
She considers how these different perspectives have shaped the current understanding of Indian history, and then dives into the history itself. Along the way she considers and weighs different perspectives.
She isn't limited to the Great Man approach, and does a particularly good job of considering different social layers, as well as the ebb and flow of Hindu/Buddhist/Jaina influence.
Her book is not a fast read, and it's not a rousing adventure story, as many good histories are. This is a thoughtful, considered examination of the history of ancient India. If you want knowledge, look here. If you want an adventure, look elsewhere.

United States on May 13, 2008