To Alexander the Great, the country was a place of clever naked philosophers and massive armies mounted on elephants – which eventually forced his army to retreat. To ancient Rome, it was a source of luxuries, mainly spices and textiles, paid for in gold—hence the enormous numbers of Roman gold coins excavated in India. At the height of the Mughal empire in 1700, India boasted 24 percent of the world economy—a share virtually equal to Europe’s 25 percent. But then its economy declined. Colonial India was known for its extremes of wealth and poverty, epitomized by the Taj Mahal and famines, maharajas and untouchables, and also for its spirituality: many-armed Hindu gods and Buddhist philosophy, Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore.India: A Short History places as much emphasis on individuals, ideas and cultures as on the rise and fall of kingdoms, political parties and economies. Anyone curious about a great civilization, and its future, will find this an ideal introduction, at times controversial, written by an author who has been strongly engaged with India for more than three decades.

    When he first arrives in Aayakudi to investigate a curious tip about a ghost, the place seems like an ordinary, traditional farming village. Soon, though, Rajendran finds himself entangled in a head-spinning mystery involving ancient treasure, spirit possession, and a series of grisly killings. There's also the beautiful, troubled daughter of the village panchayat president... and the notorious evil sorcerer who wants her dead. Indra Soundar Rajan, one of the stalwarts of the Tamil pulp fiction scene, has been writing his unique brand of supernatural mystery thrillers for over 30 years. He's also known for his television screenplays, such as the long-running superhit serial Marmadesam (Land of Mystery). He lives in Madurai.

    As a novelist and icon, Rushdie has embraced both 'popular' and 'high' culture; reflecting this, the Guide brings together both academic criticism and journalism to investigate the passions and preoccupations of Rushdie's many critics, steering the reader through the inflamed debates and rhetoric surrounding this much admired but controversial author.

    This is the impact of the words of Mukul Deva ... the country's first military thriller writer' - The HinduA warlord in the rugged Tribal Areas of Pakistan pushes his way to the crest of the jihadi wave, seeking to forge an alliance of terror groups to take on the American surge. One of his allies appears to be Pakistan's ISI. But are they using him to attain their own goals? Or is he using them? And for what?Facing the brunt of this deadly double game is the spirited Force 22 represented by Iqbal and Tanaz, just back from Pakistan after their search-and-destroy mission to eliminate Salim, who are catapulted into action as lethal intelligence operations begin to unfold. The third in the action thriller series from India's 'literary storm trooper', Blowback will keep you riveted with its tight plotting and heart-stopping pace.'For a land so strife-torn and terrorism plagued, Mukul Deva's books become topical, close to the hearts of millions of Indians, and offer hope and redemption.' - Eika Chaturvedi Banerjee'Gripping, well narrated action – I read the book in one go.' - Ananth Doraswamy'His in-depth knowledge of affairs military coupled with a lucid style of storytelling makes the reader crave for more.' - Brigadier Sanjeev Kanal'Mukul Deva is an extraordinary writer – his imagination and attention to detail make his characters come alive and one is almost sorry to reach the end.' - Neena Singh

    It discusses recent Constitutional Amendments, socio-economic changes and educational experiments.About the AuthorR C Majumdar - Former Vice-Chancellor, Dacca University. H C Raychaudhauri - Former Carmichael Professor of Ancient Indian History and Culture, Calcutta University. Kalikinkar Datta - Former Vice-Chancellor Patna University.Table of Contents Part I: Ancient India Part II: Medieval India. Book I: The Muslim Conquest and the Delhi Sultanate. Book II: The Mughul Empire Part III: Modern India. Book I: The Rise and Growth of the British Power. Book II: Modern India Appendices Genealogical Tables to Part III Bibliography to Part III List of Governors-Generals, List of Prime Ministers and Presidents Chronology Index