1.India’s Struggle for Independence – Bipan Chandra.
India’s struggle for Independence by Bipin Chandra is your go to book for an in-depth and detailed overview on Indian independence movement . Indian freedom struggle is one of the most important parts of its history. A lot has been written and said about it, but there still remains a gap. Rarely do we get to hear accounts of the independence from the entire country and not just one region at one place. This book fits in perfectly in this gap and also provides a narration on the impact this movement had on the people. Bipin Chandra’s book is a well-documented history of India's freedom struggle against the British rule. It is one of the most accurate books which have been painstakingly written after thorough research based on legal and valid verbal and written sources. It maps the first war of independence that started with Mangal Pandey’s mutiny and witnessed the gallant effort of Sri Rani Laxmi Bai. Many of the pages of this book are dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi’s non-cooperation and the civil disobedience movements. It contains detailed description of Subash Chandra Bose’s weapon heavy tactics and his charisma. This book includes all the independence movements and fights, irrespective of their size and impact, covering India in its entirety. Although these movements varied in means and ideas, but they shared a common goal of independence. This book contains oral and written narratives from different parts of the country, making this book historically rich and diverse. The book captures the evolution of Indian independence struggle in full detail and leaves no chapter of this story untouched.
2.Ancient India - R.S Sharma.
India's Ancient Past is a comprehensive work that captures the historical strides from neolithic and chalcolithic times to Harappan civilization, Vedic times, rise of Mauryas, Gupta's. Satvahanas right up to the times of Harshavardhana.
Rise and fall of empires and reign of kings has been placed in the context of the ancient social milieu, the existing varna system, developments in science and technology, commerce and trade and the cultural legacy that shaped society.
The book takes the readers on a journey through time. Like his other books, this book too is very informative and the narrative is a compelling read. Students and those interested in knowing about India's past do get to learn learn about empires, dynasties and the varied cultures that evolved in different geographical backgrounds over the millennia.
There are separate sections that detail about Harappan and Vedic civilization, the age of Mauryas and the rise of Buddhism and Jainism.At the end of the book you will find a note from the author on the transition from Ancient India to Medieval India. The main reason for its popularity is the fact that it is easy to read and the facts have been detailed in an easy to understand manner.
3.Facets of Indian Culture – Spectrum.
This book is a Composite study of Indian culture—its art forms, architecture, literary and intellectual traditions, beliefs and myths and aspects of social development. It also examines some vital aspects of cultural transformation in modern India. Candidates of many competitive examinations, but especially those of the Civil Services, will find this book worth reading.
4.History of Medieval India - Satish Chandra.
There are great amount of historical moments strung together to bring India where it is today. A slice of these events add up to make this history book by Satish Chandra. The 1000 year period covered in this book details about the sequence of events and the empires that governed different parts of the country from the eighth to the eighteenth century.
A feudal medieval India is presented within the social context of the times that is bound to interest even lay readers, besides students of history and those appearing for competitive examinations. The series of invasions that shook up the Indian sub-continent, an ever changing kaleidoscope of cultures, political upheavals and internal revolutions that happened during these ten centuries have been described with utmost detail in History of Medieval India. The book is a result of intense research of archived documents, coins, monuments, books, travellers accounts and other sources that have survived the ravages of time.
