Five Thousand Years of Indian History

This book provides a concise overview of India's five-thousand-year history. Its main narrative follows the succession of dynasties, covering ancient, medieval, and modern Indian history. The section on ancient history begins with India in the Stone Age, describing the lives of its indigenous peoples, Aryan culture, and Vedic religion. It then covers the two great epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, which emerged during India's age of epic and philosophy, as well as the Vedic collections, Brahmanas, and Upanishads. Buddhism and the Buddha, Shakyamuni, are discussed in particular detail. The section concludes with the rise and fall of the Magadha Empire, the foreign Kushan Empire, and the Gupta Empire.

The medieval history section begins with the Muslim invasion of India and recounts the Ghaznavid dynasty and Mahmud's seventeen invasions of India. It then covers the rise and fall of the dynasties established by Muslim rulers, including the Mamluk, Khalji, Tughlaq, Sayyid, and Lodi dynasties. Finally, it describes the establishment and development of the Mughal Empire, focusing on the great deeds of several wise rulers, including Babur, Humayun, and Akbar.

The modern history section begins with the British East India Company's invasion of India, explaining how the Company defeated France and other countries before gradually conquering India. It then describes how Robert Clive seized Indian lands, how Warren Hastings annexed them, and how Cornwallis expanded British power across the country. Finally, it covers India's war of independence, the birth of the Indian National Congress, and the nonviolent noncooperation movement led by Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian people.