If you get ahold of good English Translations first read the 3 part autobiography “Bhava” by Masti Venkatesh Iyengar and then read the autobiography of S L Bhyrappa called Bhitti .
These authors have painted a picture of how India was in their lifetime and this spans the time from before independence to almost modern times. You get a sense of how the Indian society evolved. Seeing our society through these authors eyes has been one of the most profound reading experiences I have ever had and it would be time well spent.
In spite of the Gods – Ed Luce
India – What can it teach us? – Max Mueller
In light of India – Octavio Paz
India: a million mutinies now – VS Naipaul
Alberuni’s India – er, – Al Beruni
India: A history – John Keay
A two volume history of India – Romila Thapar and Percival Spear
The Idea of India – Sunil Khilnani
The Argumentative Indian – Amartya Sen
Wings of Fire – APJ Abdul Kalam
Ignited Minds
Being Indian
A search in Secret India – Paul Brunton
A source book of Indian philosophy – S Radhakrishnan
India My Love – Osho
India – from Midnight to Millennium – Sashi Tharoor
India Unbound – Guruch
This is my list of books. Some of them have been mentioned in other answers though.
- India After Gandhi
A very detailed history of India from independence to present day politics. It is a one hand reference for anything after post-independence.- India's Foreign Policy
It explains India's foreign policy. The author was foreign secretary and served many Prime Ministers.- The Wonder that was India
You'll learn more about Indian Culture. This author is a foreign author and he spent his last days in India. He was very much impressed by Indian culture and he even mentored Romila Thapar.- India Sin
There are many great non-travel books about India that provide valuable insights into its history, culture, and society. Some popular options include "India After Gandhi" by Ramachandra Guha, which offers a comprehensive look at India's political history since gaining independence, "The Argumentative Indian" by Amartya Sen, which explores India's intellectual and cultural heritage, and "Behind the Beautiful Forevers" by Katherine Boo, which provides a compelling narrative about life in a Mumbai slum. These books offer diverse perspectives on India and are highly regarded for their depth and ac
… (more)There is one book which every Indian must read. This book must also be read anyone who wants to learn about India, and about the thoughts that shaped Indian history.
Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines.
The history of India that is taught both within India and the rest of the world is not the real history. At best, it is a bunch of half-truths that are tossed around as if it's the real, accurate history. In Breaking India, authors Rajiv Malhotra and Aravindan Neelakandan take the reader through the bias that shaped Indian mainstream history. It is a must
I have read most of the books mentioned in the Answer Wiki as of the time of writing this answer. To add to that, I have a few more books that are about India. Some a close view of how some people made a difference to themselves, some a historical treatment of one of the most influential thinking in Eastern India and the other which is a scientific treatment of Indian behavior.
1. Games Indians Play : Why we are the way we are - V Raghunathan.
Very light in reading, the author who is a professor of finance at IIM A for two decades now, uses the tools of Game Theory ( Iterative Prisoner's dil
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Not a definitive list, rather some of my personal favorites [and some not so, but still important]. To underdstand the Social, Political, Religious and Historical perspective of India & Indian Subcontinent.
- "India Wins Freedom" - 'Maulana' Abul Kalam Azad.
- "The Discovery of India" - 'Pandit' Jawaharlal Nehru.
- "The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian" - Nirad C. Chaudhuri.
- "A Suitable Boy" - Vikram Seth.
- "The Great Indian Novel" - Shashi Tharoor (Indian politician).
- "Midnight's Children" - Salman Rushdie (author).
also not a literary work but "The Apu Trilogy" - Bengali films directed by Satyajit Ray
I think that the book that describes India to the fullest with all its ups and downs has not been written yet. But here are quite a few that would interest you.
- The Discovery of India - Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru - A book that tells you the important points of the Indian history and how India shaped to be as it is today.
- Chanakya’s Chant - Ashwin Sanghi - A book about India’s greatest economist and political strategist with a modern blend of Indian politics. A must read.
- Midnight’s Children- Salman Rushdie - A nice book to describes India’s transition from British rule to Independence.
Also, Slumdog
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In my opinion, The Adaptive Indian: Identity and Ethos by Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan is the best book to understand the culture of India. Dr S Radhakrishnan was one of the greatest philosophers who ever lived. He was also a great statesman and scholar. His understanding of the Indian culture was very profound.
The book discusses all aspects of Indian culture and also describes the lives of some of the greatest personalities that India produced.
The content of the book:
- The first chapter of the book is about religious pluralism.
- The second chapter is about unity.
- The third chapter is about the adap
Some great books have been written on India in form of historical texts & notes, commentaries, critiques, novels, poems, dramas - which reflect its rich & colorful history, its people, diverse culture, traditions and ethos. I recommend below some of the best books (both fiction & non-fiction) on the subject, written by several eminent authors and spread over different time-frames (not necessarily ranked in order):
- India, a History - John Keay.
- A Wonder That Was India - A L Basham.
- A Search in Secret India - Paul Brunton.
- A Passage to India - E M Forster.
- The Mughal World - Abraham Early.
- In Spite of
Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts; fiction (though I think it mirrors the author's life in part) that portrays life in Mumbai off the tourist track. Well-written, engaging read.
First - you cant understand India from books, so let it go. Cant be done... I am 40, Indian in India all 40 years.... and am still understanding India!!!!!
But if you are interested only in reading, then read the following in the stated order:
- The Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru
- Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence by Jaswant Singh
- India: From Midnight To The Millenium And Beyond by Shashi Tharoor
- Imagining India by Nandan Nilekani
- The Argumentative Indian by Amartya Sen
- India Unbound by Gurcharan Das
In addition, a daily glance at the websites of the following will be helpful:
- The Times Of
India can not be known by anybody ever in its all dimensions. The lists of books suggested by different people above is great but you must remember there are texts, and there are sub-texts; there are layers within layers. India exists in multitude of identities which flourish, intermingle, fight and get destroyed. For example none of the books suggested above can ever give you any understanding of Dalit identity, which is one of the biggest phenomenon in Modern India. Though people think M K Gandhi is the person acceptable to every Indian, the first real critic of Gandhism has been done by Yas
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Read Jaya by Devdutt Pattanaik
Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling Of The Mahabharata (English) -
This is one of the best books out there regarding the philosophy of the Mahabharata, an Indian epic which has earned great reviews. I have read it twice and it is so good that Im sure you'll like it.
Enjoy the book!
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In 2023, the best book to learn about the national psychology of Russia is “1984” by George Orwell.
Orwell captured the atmosphere of modern Russia exemplary – that’s why “1984” jumped on the list of bestsellers in Russia after February 2022.
“1984” scored the coveted #2 position in the popular online bookstore “Litres”, with sales of the book jumping up by 45% in 2022.
Orwell also was the most popular classic author.
I guess, Russians were trying to understand what’s in store for them, after Vladimir Putin unleashed the full-scale invasion on the neighboring Ukraine.
The war is in its 16th month a
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A2A.
Of the two, Keay’s book is better because he at least tries to be objective about it. Thapar’s book is filled with glaring errors and omissions that they make me blush with shame and indignation to see what passes on for proper academic scholarship these days.
I shall endeavour to illustrate this with some examples. The Hathigumpha Inscription tells us this of Kharavela:
… (more)… done at (the cost of) thirty-five-hundred-thousands, and (he) [Kharavela] gratifies the People. And in the second year (he), disregarding Satakamini [the Satavāhana king Śatakarṇi I], despatches to the western regions an a
I recommend "In Spite of the Gods" by Edward Luce.
http://www.amazon.com/Spite-Gods-Rise-Modern-India/dp/1400079772/ref=pd_sim_b_
Its accessible yet revealing. My only complaint was its length. Too short. It covers a lot of topics so its a good starter book.
One could read a million books or live countless lives with everlasting memories and still not 'know' India well. Having said that, a few books that may give you some exposure include
- The Discovery of India: Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru; which traces Indian history from the time of the Indus Valley Civilisation to the advent of the British. I would call it a must read.
- Freedom at Midnight: Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre for a history of the Independence movement.
- In spite of the Gods - The Strange Rise of Modern India: Edward Luce: for a superb view of the contrasts that is India.
- Makers of M
Indian culture is so complex and multi-dimensional, that it would be unfair to summarise or condense it into one book or one particular stream of thought. This makes the job of any writer recording or analysing the Indian cultural ethos very difficult. However, there are various underlying currents that define key aspects of the culture to some extent. These can be understood by reading three of the most defining pieces of history about this great civilisation. They are:
- The Grand Epic of Mahabharata
- Life of Gautam Buddha
- Understanding India through its ancient and medieval Art forms
I would perso
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- William Dalrymple's Age of Kali and City of Djinns. He's a brit from Oxford who's been in and around India for close to 20 years. The first book is a collection of essays about India, which are very well done. The second is a journey through New Delhi. (His writing in general ranks amongst the best books I've read). He's recently published "Nine Lives" but I haven't read it yet.
- Amartya Sen's The Argumentative Indian is an excellent collection of essays and vignettes on Indian life, history and culture. Highly recommended.
- Anand Giridhardas's India Calling. Its an interesting look at India from
Dont bother with Nehru, Tharoor or Dalrymple's books also Ram Guha's books. None of these were really trained historians or scholars per say. They might have written fat books but they arent scholarly and highly prejudiced.
For example Ram Guha's India After Gandhi is more a collection of anecdotes rather than history per say. For example he totally forgets to mention how CPM supported China during Indo-China war however claims that RSS was responsible for Kashmir problem without providing any evidence at all.
To understand India read the follwoing books
1. Rajaji by Rajmohan Gandhi (Rajgopalac
I found the following extremely interesting:
1.) The White Tiger
It follows a darkly comic Bangalore driver through the poverty and corruption of modern India’s caste society*
2.) Super Power - The amazing race between China's hare and India's tortoise
I guess the title says it all.
3.) 2 States
Love marriages around the world are simple: Boy loves girl. Girl loves boy. They get married. In India, there are a few more steps: Boy loves girl. Girl loves boy. Girl's family has to love boy. Boy's family has to love girl. Girl's family has to love boy's family. Boy's family has to love girl's family.*
4
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Hands down it has to be this
Shashi Tharoor is a gifted writer and a prolific writer at that. The India that he writes about is the India that I want to show the world.
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India is one of the few surviving ancient civilizations. The country is vast and had a long history with multitude of characters. I am listing some of the books I think would help the budding Indophile or casual observers.
One thing I can say about all the books mentioned below is that reading them won't be a chore, except the autobiographies which will depend upon your taste in authors interests.
Image : http://www.flickr.com/photos/abee5/8314929977/
Non-fiction
- Freedom at Midnight (1975) - Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre
The story of partition of India. You should start here to understan
The Wonder That Was India
Early India : From the origins to AD 1300
The Centre of Indian Culture by Rabindranath Tagore
Being Different: An Indian Challenge to Western Universalism
The Namesake
The Argumentative Indian by Amartya Sen
Trends in Indian Culture and Heritage
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I don't know of any one good book which does a good job of being a book about Pakistan. It's not a country big on writing, and most of the western books written on Pakistan are basically travelogues without much useful insight on the country.
Here are a few good books to start off with, in order of the period they talk about:
A bit of history of the start of the country:
Shameful Flight: The Last Years of the British Empire in India
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/400498.Shameful_Flight
Some fictionalized history (well, not quite, but still) of the early days:
Midnight's Children by Salman Rus
I am kinda surprised nobody has mentioned the Mahabharata and Ramayana. Kinda the cultural DNA of India, especially the former. For the former, try the C. Rajagopalachari edition. It is among the most accessible. For the latter... can't think of a good one, but it is the duller of the two anyway.
You may also want to try the Jataka tales, the Panchatantra and the Hitopdesa.
The "You Said It" collections of daily cartoons from R. K. Laxman in the Times of India provide a pretty good impressionistic view of India in the last 50 years. The guy has been drawing for a loooong time.
For modern India, B
… (more)Updated and modified below {In this answer, I am including current issues as well, as the question specifies modern Indian History which is a rather broad topic, and further specifies assessment of the Indian Economy, for example} :
The best books, in my opinion, are :
COLONIAL HISTORY:
1) An Economic History Of India - RC Dutt, 1906. {Widely acknowledged to be the only definitive work on pre-colonial and colonial economic reali
History of India- It has only 3 words but the depth of Indian history is unimaginable. One must have to make a proper way of reading it because if you don’t do this then you will be unable to memorise it especially the time periods. I only give a brief view of about how to start reading history of India.
Phase 1- Start with Ancient Indian History. For this you had to multiple sources because what you read in ancient history is totally based on assumptions and theories. There is no solid proof and single theory which tells the exact happening of events. You must start with Evolution of human ——
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Let me suggest three books for you
1. The wonder that was India by AL Basham
Its a brilliantly written semi academic book which deals with the history, culture and religion of the Indian subcontinent from the Indus Valley Civilization till the coming of the muslims. Whats special about this book is that it also covers aspects of the society. Almost a third of the book is devoted to topics such as how women were treated, the family, children even prostitution! No textbook is ever gonna tell you about that.
2. For the second phase (Delhi sultante, Mogul empire, British and Independence) I've not
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It is possible to fill an entire library with books about India. There are many Indias to learn about, and books about each will fill up a shelf in that library. Here are a few suggestions of works of a general nature which provide quick introductions to India and her people.
- One good place to begin to try to grasp the complexity and vastness of our country is guide books, picture books, atlases and maps. I would strongly recommend the DK Eyewitness Guide to India (DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: India: DK Publishing: 9780756670269: Amazon.com: Books) as a starting point. One can simply look at t
Experience it rather than read about it.
I am sorry if my answer is not relevant to you but your question is something that made me think that can you learn about India via books, and my answer here is NO, a country where dialect,culture food changes after every 100 Km (it may be less now) how can you learn about it via books unless you have experienced it.
You may get feel about about culture or history of India via books but to learn and get knowledge you have to tour it and not in airplane but those buses and passenger trains where maximum Indians travel. To know about food you need to visit not known hotel but some local road sid
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Here are two classic fiction novels:
The Raj Quartet by Paul Scott - it is 4 volumes. It was made into a wonderful miniseries by the BBS called The Jewel in the Crown. It's available on DVD and probably Netflix.
A Passage to India by EM Forster - it was made into a great movie.
The Far Pavillions by MM Kaye - a classic love story. This was made into a movie too.
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Perhaps one of my favorite books that I've ever read is Jonah Blank's Arrow of the Blue Skinned God. The author tells the Hindu epic The Ramayan a few pages at a time and as he tells it, he intersperses it with his own experiences following the path that Rama takes in his exile and how it has shaped modern India. For example, in one of the early chapters where Rama explains that it is his duty to go into exile, the author interviews people in cities and villages to see what role duty and dharma play in modern society. The book is unbelievably well-written and deeply captivating.
Some really
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If you are looking for a great novel that would provide insight into the culture, national psychology, and history, then I recommend 'A Suitable Boy' by Vikram Seth. This is one of the great novels of India in the tradition of covering a broad swath of culture, history, society, psychology and much more. You will learn about food, family, how people think, act, dress from many walks of life. It is a beautifully written and fascinating novel, as grand in scale as any Russian epic literature.
I find that the novel does not get the full analysis that it deserves, and I'm not sure why, perhaps
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Delhi: A Novel - Khushwant Singh. Its just about the history of Delhi, but it reflects the story of India to a large degree. The book is short, entertaining and often digresses into imaginative (and likely inaccurate?) side-stories. There are very insightful theories about how Delhi's tumultuous history has shaped the way Indians think and behave.
If you're interested in Indian Politics and Indian "history" after independence (1947), purchase this book called 'India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy' by Ramachandra Guha. It is a very well researched book that covers the period just before 1947 to 2006.
Maximum City by Suketu Mehta is an entertaining novel about Bombay.
Here is the List of some very good books you may refer for Indian Heritage and culture -
1 National culture of India “ by Abid Hussain
2.The Wonder That Was India by A.L. Basham
3.The Argumentative Indian: Writings on Indian History, Culture and Identity by Amartya Sen book captures the diversity of India.
4.The Holy Cow and Other Indian Stories by Tarun Chopra
5 .Indian Society and Culture: Continuity and Change by N. Hasnain
6. Facets Of Indian Culture by Spectrum
There's a pretty exhaustive list of books here: If I wanted to learn about India, what would be the best non-travel books to read? Hope it helps!
The breadth of different answers here reflects the immensity that is called India. One author/title not mentioned which I'd loan anyone ... Heinrich Zimmer's "Philosphies of India." (You might have heard of his pupil, Joseph Campbell.)
I'd also nominate The Bhagavad Gita ... 'tho which translation is another topic unto itself.
Namasté
As Rebekka mentioned a great fiction book about India is A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. Wonderfully written and well-crafted, it hauntingly tells the story of a group of characters living in Bombay during Indira years, culminating in the days after her assassination. The characters have lingered in my memory till this day.
a) I found this 6 episode story from a British Author very interesting. Michael Wood works for the BBC, hence most of his views are neutral http://www.pbs.org/thestoryofindia/
b) The famous book "The Discovery of India" from Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru is also great. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Discovery_of_India
1. Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru
Written by India’s first prime minister when he was in prison (1942-1946), this book traces India’s history starting from the Indus Valley Civilization. It gives a detailed account of the period ranging from the coming of the Aryans to the establishment of the British Empire. A recommended read to get a snapshot of India’s incredibly long past. This book was also produced as an award-winning television series by Shyam Benegal.
2. Freedom at Midnight by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins
This book primarily focuses on India’s independence movement during
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The Story of India - Michael Wood
Following:
- India after Gandhi-Ramchandra Guha
- India’s Struggle for independence-Bipan Chandra
- Ramayana-Walmiki
- Mahabharata-Vyas
- Upanishads-Unknown sages of ancient times
- An Arguementative indian-Amartya Sen
- <And, according to me most important> The best of Lakshman-R. K. Lakshman
1.Imagining India by Nandan Nilekani.
2.Pax indica by Shasi Tharoor.
3.India from Midnight to millennium by Shasi Tharoor.
4.India After Gandhi by Ramachandra Guha.
5.India's struggle for independence by Bipin Chandra.
Many years after Vivekananda's death Rabindranath Tagore told French Nobel laureate Romain Rolland, "If you want to know India, study Vivekananda. In him everything is positive and nothing negative".
Source: Wikipedia: Swami Vivekananda
Read the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. A Revelation and A Transforming Power!
For historical and geographical reference and to get glimpse of events happened on timeline I can recommend a book "The Land of seven rivers"
My favorites are The Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru (written while imprisoned during the Quit India movement), and India by John Keay. For a history/ record of post-independence India, Ramchandra Guha's India After Gandhi is an excellent read.
The discovery of India by Nehru could be an option.
Apart from most of the books already mentioned, I also liked Superstar India: From Incredible to Unstoppable by Shobha De. It was different from the genre, Shobha De usually writes in. Simplicity of the language makes it even more readable.
Fiction: A suitable boy
Non Fiction: India after Gandhi
This will get you started. After you have read these, you can go for
"The Wonder That Was India". This book will take you deep in the history(before the arrival of Muslims) and it is very readable. When you are done with these, you will have some context about the subject and later you can on your own decide how you want to proceed in your discovery of India. Best of luck.
Delhi: Adventures in a Megacity is good book on Delhi http://www.amazon.com/Delhi-Adventures-Megacity-Sam-Miller/dp/0099526743/r
From Amazon:
Sam Miller set out to discover the real Delhi, a city he describes as “India’s dreamtown—and its purgatory.” He treads the city streets, making his way through the city and its suburbs, visiting its less celebrated destinations—Nehru Place, Rohini, Ghazipur, and Gurgaon—which most writers and travelers ignore. His quest is the here and now, the unexpected, the overlooked, and the eccentric. All the obvious ports of call make appearances: the ancient monum
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In terms of fiction
A Fine Balance by Rohinto Mistry has stayed with me as a fascinating insight into Indian culture and mentality. In fact, all his books have been wonderful.
Arvand Adigga is quite controversial but I have enjoyed his books immensely.
Good luck! India is quite possibly the most fascinating and exciting place I have ever been!
No Full Stops in India by Mark Tully is a wonderful read. It's a collection of essays, describing everything from traditional marriage ceremonies to sectarianism. In fact, I have yet to come across a book of Tully's that wasn't a joy to read.
Rambles and Recollections of an Indian Official by William H. Sleeman also makes for an interesting read if you're interested in 19th century Indian history, society, and its customs. The chapter on the marriage of a Jat chief is especially recommended.
The Indian Millennium: AD 1000-2000 by Gopa Sabharwal is essentially a very compact rendering of the soci
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Two books should give you a perspective of India: 1. India after Gandhi by Ramachandra Guha & 2. Imagining India by Nandan Nilakeni.
Few of the books with Historical Perspective are :
- India since 1526 by VD Mahajan : A textbook style exhaustive book covering advent of Babur. You would get to know the rise of Mughals
- The White Mughal by William Dalrympyle http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/124432.White_Mughals Actually any book authored by William Dalrympyle is a goodread and well researched. However this book the relation between British and the Deccani's.
- India, history by John Key : This is the best bet if you want to know right from Indus Valley civilization. Its not that exhuastive when compared to other history
Slightly dated (mid nineties) but "Butter Chicken in Ludhiana" by Pankaj Mishra. His later work "Temptations of the West" is also a good perspective.
William Dalrymple's Nine Lives
Shashi Tharoor's India : From Midnight to the Millennium is another possible candidate.
This is one of my favorite books on Independent India - India Unbound by Gurcharan Das (http://www.amazon.com/India-Unbound-Revolution-Independence-Information/dp/0385720742/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273128274&sr=8-3)
+1 Suketu Mehta - Maximum City - although I stopped reading after the entire bar girl story.
Maximum City - Suketu Mehta
A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
Interpreter of Maladies - Jhumpa Lahiri (for the psyche as many of the stories are set in America.)
What India Can Teach Us- Max Mueller
The Argumentative Indian- Amartya Sen
Sea of Poppies- Amitav Ghosh (a novel set in British India)
The World of Premchand: Selected Short Stories
If you want to enjoy fiction and also learn about India.. read 1) Glass Palace and 2) Hungry tide ... both by Amitav ghosh
Learn about the Indian monsoons in Chasing the Monsoon by Alexander Frater
The rains in India do a lot to shape the culture. This is a fascinating account of one man following the monsoon across the country to culminate at Chirapoonji, the rainiest place in the world.
http://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Monsoon-Pilgrimage-Through-Alexander/dp/033043313X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1298151626&sr=1-1
You can also read Bunch of Thoughts by Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar.
I think, by FAR the best contemporary book to understand India is "The White Tiger" by Aravind Adiga - I could not agree more with Sasha there.
Shantaram and Maximum City are also great - but BY FAR, HANDS DOWN, the best way to learn about and understand modern India (ok, not understand, but read about and hear about) is the White Tiger.
HANDS DOWN.
More historical would then be the Elephant, Tiger and the Cell Phone.
Start by reading a good history, and you can't do better than Romila Thapar's classic, A History of India 1. Percival Spear's A History of India 2 is not quite as good, but it is not a bad introduction. A.L. Basham's The Wonder That Was India, is a flawed but wonderful book. These are classics, based on sound historical research by scholars with a grasp of primary and secondary materials who neither artificially inflate nor diminish their subject matter.
Also, much as I love F. Max Müller in all his eccentric brilliance, India, What Can it Teach Us?, a publication of Müller's lectures at Camb
Baburnama, the journal of the first Mughal emperor of India.
http://www.amazon.com/Baburnama-Memoirs-Emperor-Library-Classics/dp/0375761373
Read books by Radhakrishnan (a former vice-president of the country) and historian. Also, try to read Shashi Tharoor's 'The Great Indian Novel', which is a discussion of India's struggle for freedom from the British written as a superimposition of the Mahabharata (the definitive Indian epic, the longest one in the world) onto the famed events of the freedom fight, using major historical freedom fighters as the main characters of the epic, including Krishna.
"India Unbound" and "India Grows At Night" ~ Gurcharan Das
"Notes From An Indian Conservative" ~ Jaithirth Jerry Rao
"India's Tryst With Destiny" ~ Jagdish Bhagwati and Arvind Pangariya
"Where Will All This Take Us" ~ Arun Shourie
"Why Good Economics Works For Everyone" ~ P. Chidambaram
Just finished reading it. There are two most noticeable themes here- Technology and free market. Nilekani certainly has a depth of knowledge in both. In-fact I believe Nilekani does a much better job analysing them and their effect on the India than his peers probably because of his first hand practical experience as a cofounder and CEO of Infosys which in my opinion amply illustrates the two themes in the indian context.
The book is divided into four parts - ideas that have arrived, ideas in progress, ideas in battle and finally ideas in anticipation. The first talks about our population woes
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Standard answers to this question are Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru or India: a History by John Kea. My answers are below.
Non Fiction
India Unbound, India grows at Night, The Difficulty of being Good - Gurucharan Das are all optimistic, inspiring books. The last one covers ethics as appreciated by a well-educated, well-settled Indian.
The many books from Sanjeev Sanyal, Ramchandra Guha and Shashi Tharoor helped me discover Indian history in far more surprising ways than a standard history textbook.
Suketu Mehta’s Maximum City is loved by many.
Fiction
The Guide - RK Narayan (fiction) and m
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If you really want to learn about India...
1. Read Mahabharata. No wonder why Sasi Tharoor called it as "The Great Indian Novel" . Everything other book written on the backdrop of India is inspired from Mahabharatha. People may say its a myth and who reads it ...But from my experience there is no other book which will make you prepare to embrace the most culturally diversified nation in the world
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Learning about any country by reading books is bound to have it's limitations.. and when it comes to India, a fantastically diverse country ( where we have the equivalent of 20 european countries packed in a single country) , you can barely scratch the surface with a few books. As a beginning I would recommend
A. History of India Vol I and II (Romila Thapar, Percival Spear by Penguin) .. mainly for datelines and important kingdoms and empires.
B. Discovery of India by Nehru.. Ancient and Historical India in socio cultural context . A very good book though some of the postulates have since been
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I would suggest not reading too much, but experiencing India. If you do read, I would suggest reading from both leftist and rightist authors, when it comes to history, socio-economics and politics.
There is a massive leftist bias in the Indian 'intelligentsia' !! Remnants of a decadent past. Beware :-)
Mahabharat
Ramayan
Freedom at Midnight.
Negationism in India
RigVeda
The Age of Kali
Indian after Gandhi & Why I killed Gandhi (good reads together).
Do also, read Doniger's crap after reading Indian scriptures and experiencing indian society yourselves.
I would personally recommend Discovery of India by Pt. Nehru. People think it must be a political book but i can tell you it isn't. i am reading it currently.
You should follow this question too:
https://www.quora.com/Which-is-the-best-book-for-Indian-history?srid=dr3C
It has some pretty good recommendations.
Freedom at Midnight - fascinating n vivid account of British rule (`the raj`) and Indian freedom movement. Covers most of the well known characters - Gandhi, Nehru etc.
India after Gandhi - Contemporary Indian history written by a well respected modern historian
Imagining India - thoughts on modern India from a leading technocrat who was in the heart of Indian software boom.
Enjoying India - a book of cultural pointers for to-be visitors and travelers
All the books by Chetan Bhaghat (Eg Five point someone, two states) - pulp fiction set in current India (can be read in one setting)
There seems to b
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Only recommendation on history. Stay away from Discovery Of India by Nehru and books by recent so-called historians of India. Would recommend PN Oak books for starters as it gives an alternative, a Indian look at India's history.
Why PN Oak? He worked in Archaeological Survey of India, a dept originally set up by the British. His documentary evidence and his alternative analysis on history, brought him ridicule and complete banishment by his peers and the government. History is always looked at from a perspective and sadly, to this date majority of famous Indian historians have repeated the sa
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Even after reading all the books mentioned in other answers , you might defnitly realize that India is lot diversfied than that mentioned in books.
In my view to understand India you should either born in India or live in India for a while , mingle with locals.
If you wish to pick wrong of India or Indians there are lot of biased media in India like NDTV ,CNN,ABP,STAR NEWS etc.
Have fun learning about India
If you are an American and you go to college just check out the college library I recently found out they usually have good book for knowin all the culture
why read those books? depending on which country you are in, just go make friends with an Indian. we all are very friendly and genuinely like most other people. and we all are happy to talk about things. over a few months, you will get to know what it is.
National psychology is incomplete without understanding the students. I suggest you read this book which will explain how Indian students and young professionals think.
Here is the description of the story if it interests you:
Three IIM graduates - Khushboo, Rashika, Raghav and IIT graduate - Aarav are brought together by destiny's fine stroke.
No! This is not a story about successful young professionals who give up their corporate dream to pursue photography, music or cha
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Learning and knowing about India to me means learning about her history, culture, language, politics, society and how society interreacts with each other.
Here are some books that I found interesting and informative.
-India After Gandhi by Ram Guha
-Wanderers, Kings, Merchants by Peggy Mohan
-Where India Goes by Diane Coffee and Dean Spears
-Born a Muslim by Ghazala Wahab
-Sebastian and Son’s by TM Krishna
-Nine Rupees and Hour by Aparna Kathikeyan
-The Early Indians by Tony Joseph
There are many more to the list, you can check out my book review website by the name of bookspoetryandmore
India is a diverse and complex country with a rich history, culture, and literature. Here are some non-travel books that can help you learn more about India:
- "The Argumentative Indian" by Amartya Sen - In this book, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen offers a series of essays on India's intellectual and cultural history, exploring its traditions of argument and debate.
- "A Suitable Boy" by Vikram Seth - This epic novel follows four families in post-independence India as they navigate love, politics, and social change.
- "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy - This award-winning novel tells the story of
- India After Gandhi: The History of the World’s Largest Democracy by Ramachandra Guha
- 2. The Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru
- 3. A Passage to India by E.M. Forster
- 4. India: A History by John Keay
- 5. India Unbound: The Social and Economic Revolution from Independence to the Global Information Age by Gurcharan Das
- 6. India: A Million Mutinies Now by V.S. Naipaul
- 7. The Great Arc of the Wild World: India and the Future of Conservation by Jonathan S. Adams
- 8. The Argumentative Indian: Writings on Indian History, Culture and Identity by Amartya Sen
- 9. India’s Unending Journey: Rediscovering the Past,
- Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300, by Romila Thapar
- Anything, by Sir. Jadunath Sarkar
- The Idea of India, by Sunil Khilnani
- Autobiography of an Unknown Indian, by Nirad C Chaudhury
- India after Gandhi, by Ramachandra Guha
I would recommend the following (in no particular order) works which provide an insight into life in India (predominantly set in post independence India) across various regions/socio economic strata.
1. A Free Man - Aman Sethi
2. Beyond The Beautiful Forevers - Katherine Boo
3. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
4. 1857 , The Real Story of the Great Uprising - Mrinal Pande (Translation)
5. The Illicit Happiness of Other People - Manu Joseph
6. The Billionaire's Apprentice - Anita Raghavan
7. Coolie - Mulk Raj Anand
Learning about a country through books can be a long-winding one, though it is the only way. Learning a country works best through its art forms, including books - especially contemporary books. There are some contemporary 'best sellers' and 'authors' - Anita Nair, Chetan Bhagat etc whose books can be read to know about 'current' or 'modern' India.
There are great recommendations in other answers. You can go for those books. If you are in a hurry then read lots of Amar Chitra Kathaa comics to know history and mythology of India.
You can read from a book called CULTURAL HERITAGE OF INDIA published by Bharatiya Vidya bhavan, Rajendra Prasad institute of communication and management,Gupte block, Munshinagar, Andheri (w) , Mumbai 400058. Although it may not be available freely you can write to them and ask for a copy
The moment I read this question the thing that came to my mind was this quote by Ravindranath Tagore -
" If you want to know India, study Vivekananda. In him everything is positive and nothing negative."
If you want to really learn about the essence of India this is the best place to start with.
You can refer to the history books, you can also get info at Wikipedia about each and everything in detail. Also holly books if you want to know the culture, etc..
Here are some good ones, heavily biased by the fact that I am Indian American and not Indian:
-Richard Eaton, Rise of Islam (nf - this focuses heavily on Bangladesh, but I couldn't leave it out because it's so good)
-Bhagavad Gita (religious text)
-Stanley Wolpert, A New History of India (nf)
-Mrinalini Sinha, Colonial Masculinity (haven't read this yet, but have always meant to) (nf)
-Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Can the Subaltern Speak (nf, VERY dense essay- read only if you are interested in theory and history and the left, but is worthwhile)
-Khuswant Singh, Delhi (f)
-Subaltern Studies Volu
http://www.amazon.com/Hindus-Alternative-History-Wendy-Doniger/dp/1594202052
"The Hindus" is a great historical perspective, especially if you like some flavor of textual analysis.
Maximum City by Suketu Mehta
If you are looking at history books then, I'd suggest you theses:
- Ancient India:
- The Wonder that was India by A.L. Basham - The book is a survey of the ancient Indian culture. One of the best of its kind
- A History of India by Romila Thapar - Romila Thapar is one of India's foremost historian. Interestingly, she did her doctorate under A.L. Basham
- Medieval India:
Here, I am at a loss since I haven't read much about medieval India. I wouldn't recomment a book I haven't at least perused, though you can check out Alberuni's India, an iconic work by the 11th century Persian polymath.
[Suggestions in
India Brand Equity Foundation, IBEF, Business Opportunities in India
This Is The Great Website To Read More About India In Depth
If you want to know India, study Vivekananda. In him everything is positive and nothing negative.
- —Rabindranath Tagore
The Ibis trilogy by Amitav Ghosh. The books offer an eclectic mix of history and fiction, a genre I wasn’t familiar with until then.
Set in the Nineteenth century, they had an ensemble of characters whose lives were intertwined with one another and whose livelihood were deeply rooted in the Opium trade rampant across the Indo-Chinese border.
His other works that really impressed me...
The Glass Palace is an exquisite piece of work set across Bengal and Burma- the story extends over three generations and is laden with historical snippets.
Ghosh mostly centers his books around Calcutta . His B
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There a number of extremely good books available on Indian history through the ages. These are just a few that might help you:
For ancient and medieval Indian history:
- Penguin History of Early India : From the Origins to AD 1300 by Romila Thapar
- Asoka and the Decline of the Mauryas by Romila Thapar
- Ancient India by V.D. Mahajan
- The Last Mughal by William Darlymple
For the British rule and the freedom struggle:
- India’s Struggle for Independence (Edited book)
- An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India by Shashi Tharoor
- Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India by Lawrence James
- Freedom at Midnigh
I would recommend going through this complete series. It will give you enough insight on India, its history, its evolution and its culture.
John Keay's India: A History. It's factual at its best, and covers different eras and dynasties of the subcontinent.
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