Includes bibliographical references (pages 619-632) and index.

The Harappan world: c. 3000-1700 B.C. -- Vedic values: c. 1700-900 B.C. -- The epic age: c. 900-520 B.C. -- Out of the myth-smoke: c. 520- c. 320 B.C. -- Gloria Maurya: c. 320-200 B.C. -- An age of paradox: c. 200 B.C.-c. 300 A.D. -- Gupta gold: c. 300-500 A.D. -- Lords of the universe: c. 500-700 -- Dharma and defiance: c. 700-c. 900 -- Natraj, the rule of the dance: c. 950-1180 -- The triumph of the sultans: c.1180-1320 -- Other Indias: 1320-1525 -- The making of the Mughal empire: 1500-1605 -- Mughal pomp, Indian circumstance: 1605-1682 -- From Taj to Raj: 1682-1750 -- The British conquest: 1750-1820 -- Pax Britannica: 1820-1880 -- Awake the nation: 1880-1930 -- At the stroke of the midnight hour: 1930-1948 -- Surgical procedures: 1948-1965 -- The specter of separatism: 1962-1972 -- 'Demockery': 1972-1984 -- Midnight's grandchildren: 1984-.

John Keay's India: A History spans five millennia in a sweeping narrative that tells the story of the peoples of the subcontinent, from their ancient beginnings in the valley of the Indus to the events in the region today. In charting the evolution of the rich tapestry of cultures, religions, and peoples that comprise the modern nations of Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh, Keay weaves together insights from a variety of scholarly fields to create a rich historical narrative.