New Books in Indian Religions

Audrey Truschke, "India: 5,000 Years of History on the Subcontinent" (Princeton UP, 2025)


Listen Later

Much of world history is Indian history. Home today to one in four people, the subcontinent has long been densely populated and deeply connected to Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas through migration and trade. In this magisterial history, Audrey Truschke tells the fascinating story of the region historically known as India--which includes today's India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and parts of Afghanistan--and the people who have lived there.

A sweeping account of five millennia, from the dawn of the Indus Valley Civilization to the twenty-first century, this engaging and richly textured narrative chronicles the most important political, social, religious, intellectual, and cultural events. And throughout, it describes how the region has been continuously reshaped by its astonishing diversity, religious and political innovations, and social stratification.

Here, readers will learn about Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, and Sikhism; the Vedas and Mahabharata; Ashoka and the Mauryan Empire; the Silk Road; the Cholas; Indo-Persian rule; the Mughal Empire; European colonialism; national independence movements; the 1947 Partition of India; the recent rise of Hindu nationalism; the challenges of climate change; and much more. Emphasizing the diversity of human experiences on the subcontinent, the book presents a wide range of voices, including those of women, religious minorities, lower classes, and other marginalized groups.

You cannot understand India today without appreciating its deeply contested history, which continues to drive current events and controversies. A comprehensive and innovative book, India is essential reading for anyone who is interested in the past, present, or future of the subcontinent.

Audrey Truschke is professor of South Asian history at Rutgers University, Newark. She is the bestselling author of Aurangzeb: The Life and Legacy of India's Most Controversial King and other books.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/indian-religions

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

New Books in Indian ReligionsBy Marshall Poe

  • 4
  • 4
  • 4
  • 4
  • 4

4

20 ratings


More shows like New Books in Indian Religions

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,412 Listeners

Economist Podcasts by The Economist

Economist Podcasts

4,287 Listeners

Tara Brach by Tara Brach

Tara Brach

10,462 Listeners

Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics Radio

32,299 Listeners

New Books in Buddhist Studies by Marshall Poe

New Books in Buddhist Studies

32 Listeners

Philosophize This! by Stephen West

Philosophize This!

15,093 Listeners

Making Sense with Sam Harris by Sam Harris

Making Sense with Sam Harris

26,469 Listeners

The Wisdom Podcast by The Wisdom Podcast

The Wisdom Podcast

326 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

111,917 Listeners

The Ancients by History Hit

The Ancients

3,058 Listeners

UnHerd with Freddie Sayers by UnHerd

UnHerd with Freddie Sayers

225 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

15,335 Listeners

Empire by Goalhanger

Empire

2,107 Listeners

Misquoting Jesus with Bart Ehrman by Bart Ehrman

Misquoting Jesus with Bart Ehrman

605 Listeners

Data Over Dogma by Daniel McClellan and Daniel Beecher

Data Over Dogma

1,319 Listeners