{"product_id":"india-a-short-history-9780500298251","title":"India: A Short History","description":"\u003cp\u003eThroughout its long history, India has signified many things. To pilgrims from ancient China, India was the birthplace of the Buddha; to Alexander the Great it was a land of philosophers and indomitable, elephantine armies. At the height of the Mughal Empire in 1700, India meant wealth, boasting nearly 25 percent of the world economy, but then, under British rule, its economy declined.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the nineteenth century, India's identity continued to evolve, defined by stark contrasts of extravagant wealth and crippling poverty, symbolized by the Taj Mahal and devastating famines, maharajas, and untouchables. At the same time, the country was celebrated for its rich spirituality, from the many gods of Hinduism and Sufi saints to Buddhist philosophy, with towering figures like Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore shaping its legacy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAndrew Robinson incisively distills India's many incarnations, from the remarkably advanced cities of the early Indus Valley to the world's largest democracy. Anyone curious about its past, present, or future will find this a fascinating introduction.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eRobinson, Andrew:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cstrong\u003eAndrew Robinson\u003c\/strong\u003e has written more than twenty-five books on the arts and sciences. They include \u003cem\u003eLost Languages: The Enigma of the World's Undeciphered Scripts\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eCracking the Egyptian Code\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eEarthshock\u003c\/em\u003e, which won the Association of Earth Science Editors Outstanding Publication Award. He is also a regular contributor to magazines, such as \u003cem\u003eCurrent World Archaeology\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eHistory Today\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Lancet\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eNature\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eScience\u003c\/em\u003e. A former literary editor of \u003cem\u003eThe Times Higher Education Supplement\u003c\/em\u003e, he was also a visiting fellow at the University of Cambridge. \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Thames \u0026 Hudson","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51260213330194,"sku":"9780500298251","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_def7d150-642d-4c2f-ba91-2c820c114035.jpg?v=1746639932","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/india-a-short-history-9780500298251","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}