Ancient India: A Very Short Introduction

By E J Michael Witzel

This book presents an accurate and up-to-date account of the prehistory and early history of South Asia, from the Palaeolithic era to the seventh century CE.

It deals with the first human migration out of Africa, about 65,000 years ago, and the beginnings of Neolithic food production; the first urban settlements of the enigmatic Harappan (Indus) civilization; the immigrant Vedic people and their important language and religion; early state formation under the Kuru kings; the religions of the Upanishads, the Buddha, and the Jaina Mahavira; the great Maurya empire and its emperor Asoka; the subsequent tumultuous period of Central Asian invasions and shifting realms; and the classical Gupta empire and its successors.

Witzel emphasizes the frequently neglected lines of development of early Indian civilization, with a recurring pattern of local development, followed by integration into large archaeological civilizations or states, which is again followed by splintering and regionalization.

The book makes use of the latest research in archaeology, anthropology, paleontology, genetics, linguistics, and textual studies: Veda, Pali texts, Greek and Chinese accounts, inscriptions, traditional religious history, and classical texts.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195375564
• ISBN13: 9780195375565
• Release Date: December 2099
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 144 Pages