Reference
A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India
The most complete modern textbook on ancient India, rich in sources, maps and archaeology.
Recommended reading
A curated shelf for exam preparation and for curious readers — from NCERT basics to the standard references and the best popular histories. Every note is our own.
Era
Prehistory & Harappan 3
Reference
Ancient Cities of the Indus Valley Civilization
An archaeologist's lavishly illustrated account of the Harappan cities.
Popular history
Early Indians
A lively look at who the first Indians were, drawing on genetics and archaeology.
Ancient India 6
Reference
Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300
An authoritative, interpretive history of early Indian society and states.
Reference
The Wonder That Was India
A timeless, beautifully written survey of ancient Indian civilisation.
Reference
A History of South India
The classic survey of the south, from prehistory to the fall of Vijayanagara.
Reference
Ashoka in Ancient India
A vivid biography of Ashoka built from his own edicts.
Popular history
Incarnations: A History of India in 50 Lives
Indian history told through fifty remarkable lives, from the Buddha to Ambedkar.
Primary source / classic
The Discovery of India
Nehru's sweeping reflection on India's past, written in prison in 1944.
Medieval India 8
Reference
Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals (2 vols)
The detailed two-volume treatment for readers who want more than the single-volume textbook.
Reference
The Colas
The definitive study of the Chola empire, its kings and administration.
Reference
The Delhi Sultanate: A Political and Military History
A scholarly history of the Sultanate and its wars with the Mongols.
Primary source / classic
A Forgotten Empire: Vijayanagar
Includes translations of the Portuguese travellers Paes and Nuniz on Vijayanagara.
Reference
The Mughal Empire
A compact, respected overview of the Mughal state from Babur to its decline.
Primary source / classic
The Baburnama: Memoirs of Babur
The first Mughal emperor in his own words — candid, curious and unforgettable.
Reference
The Marathas 1600–1818
How the Maratha state rose from Shivaji's swarajya to a subcontinental power.
Reference
A History of Assam
The classic history of Assam and the Ahom kingdom.
Modern India 10
Reference
India's Struggle for Independence
The standard narrative of the national movement from 1857 to 1947.
Reference
From Plassey to Partition and After
A balanced, analytical history of colonial India; excellent for Mains answers.
Popular history
The Anarchy
A gripping account of how a trading company conquered India.
Popular history
The Last Mughal
Delhi in 1857 through the life of Bahadur Shah Zafar.
Popular history
Ranjit Singh: Maharaja of the Punjab
A readable biography of the founder of the Sikh Empire.
Popular history
The Great Partition
A humane, clear-eyed history of the Partition of 1947.
Popular history
India After Gandhi
The history of the Republic, from 1947 to the present.
Primary source / classic
An Autobiography, or The Story of My Experiments with Truth
Gandhi's own account of his life and the ideas behind satyagraha.
Primary source / classic
Annihilation of Caste
Ambedkar's landmark critique of caste, essential for social reform topics.
Popular history
Freedom at Midnight
A dramatic, page-turning narrative of independence and Partition.
World history 2
Reference
Mastering Modern World History
The favourite for UPSC world history: world wars, revolutions and the Cold War.
Primary source / classic
Glimpses of World History
World history in letters from Nehru to his daughter Indira.
Neighbouring countries 3
Reference
A History of Sri Lanka
The standard history of Sri Lanka from Anuradhapura to independence.
Reference
A History of Nepal
A concise, reliable history of Nepal from the Gorkha unification to the republic.
Reference
A History of Bangladesh
The land, people and politics of Bangladesh, from ancient Bengal to today.
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