Most of the time I have large problems with huge collections of primary sources such as this too often we get a picture of society from the top down and not the bottom up. Whoever complied this collection did a very good job. There are sources from everywhere the old Mughal Empire, occupying British forces trying to take over India, Gandhi, Jinnah, Nehru, even Bose who is most often overlooked. There are even examples from the untouchables activists. Before I started the course for modern south asian history I didn't even know that there were such activists.



Overall-Stephen Hay did his homework. If you have an interest in Modern India this is the book to get.

Most of the time I have large problems with huge collections of primary sources such as this too often we get a picture of society from the top down and not the bottom up. Whoever complied this collection did a very good job. There are sources from everywhere the old Mughal Empire, occupying British forces trying to take over India, Gandhi, Jinnah, Nehru, even Bose who is most often overlooked. There are even examples from the untouchables activists. Before I started the course for modern south asian history I didn't even know that there were such activists.

Overall-Stephen Hay did his homework. If you have an interest in Modern India this is the book to get.

Most of the time I have large problems with huge collections of primary sources such as this too often we get a picture of society from the top down and not the bottom up. Whoever complied this collection did a very good job. There are sources from everywhere the old Mughal Empire, occupying British forces trying to take over India, Gandhi, Jinnah, Nehru, even Bose who is most often overlooked. There are even examples from the untouchables activists. Before I started the course for modern south asian history I didn't even know that there were such activists.

Overall-Stephen Hay did his homework. If you have an interest in Modern India this is the book to get.

India has one of the richest and most intricate cultures in the world. Imagine a book that compiled all the ancient sources of this culture into a single volume. This book is as close to that ideal as possible. This volume covers India from pre-historic times until the mid 18th century. It includes selections from the Vedas and the Upanishads, foundational Hindu texts; selections from important Jain texts; and selections from early Theravadan and Mahayanan Buddhist texts. It them embarks on an elaborate discussion of Hinduism, organized on the four goals of life -- *dharma*, *artha*, *kama*, and *moksha* (the section on *moksha* contains selections from the *Bhagavad Gita*, other scriptures, and the writings of mystics & saints). The last section of the anthology is a detailed treatment of the Muslims period in India, from the 13th to the 18th centuries. Overall, this is an invaluable sourcebook for anyone who wants to know more about the history of India.