A History of India

This new edition of Burton Stein’s classic A History of India builds on the success of the original to provide an updated narrative of the development of Indian society, culture, and politics from 7000 BC to the present.

The book offers a comprehensive account of Indian history. It also links contemporary issues-including poverty, religious nationalism, and the role of women–to India’s rich and varied history and explores the tensions throughout Indian history between local communities and the state, between cultures and politics, and between India and the outside world. In this the second edition, David Arnold brings the story of India into the twenty-first century with expanded coverage from the death of Nehru in 1964 to the present and on India’s internal political and economic development, and its wider diplomatic role in the region.

With a new introduction outlining Burton Stein’s contribution to the study of Indian history, as well as an updated glossary, further reading section, and newly created maps, A History of India will inform and inspire a new generation of readers.