The Shortest History of India

Five millennia of civilization masterfully condensed into an absorbing, fast-paced narrative of how India became the world’s largest democracy and a rising global power. The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced read.

India is an amalgam of customs, races, castes, languages, and spiritual beliefs—woven together throughout the ages into a colossal history. From ancient migrations and the Harappān civilization to Muslim invaders, the Great Mughals, British rule, hard-fought independence, and present-day hopes and challenges, John Zubrzycki fashions a riveting narrative that helps readers make sense of the country behind today’s headlines.

Zubrzycki 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. Only time will tell if India—whose population has now surpassed China’s—can overcome its political, social, and religious tensions to become the next global superpower.