Concise History of Ancient India (Volume II)

This is the second volume of a three volume series dealing with the history and culture of ancient India. The first volume, already published, describes the political history of ancient India from the earliest period to c. AD 1300. The present volume deals with the political theories, administrative organizations, and economic life. The arrangements of topics in this volume will enable the reader to distinguish between theory and practice. He will also obtain an integrated picture of political and economic life in ancient India presented here for the first time in one volume. As the author has explained in the preface to the first volume, ‘concise’ means, brief in expression,’ and not ‘abridgement.’ Following this principle, he has been able to present the salient features of the political and economic life in ancient India with important details sometimes even quoting inscriptions in full. The author began the study of these subjects nearly thirty years ago. He now presents the fruit of his patient, labour and mature deliberation.