The Shortest History of India: From the World's Oldest Civilization to Its Largest Democracy - A Retelling for Our Times - Paperback

by John Zubrzycki (Author)

India--a cradle of civilization with five millennia of history, a country of immense consequence and contradiction--often defies ready understanding. What holds its people together--across its many cultures, races, languages, and creeds--and how has India evolved into the liberal democracy it is today?

From the Harappan era to Muslim invasions, the Great Mughals, British rule, independence, and present-day hopes, John Zubrzycki distills India's colossal history into a gripping true story filled with legendary lives: Alexander the Great, Akbar, Robert Clive, Tipu Sultan, Lakshmi Bai, Lord Curzon, Jinnah, and Gandhi. India's gifts to the world include Buddhism, yoga, the concept of zero, the largest global diaspora--and its influence is only growing. Already the world's largest democracy, in 2023, India became the most populous nation.

Can India overcome its political, social, and religious tensions to be the next global superpower? As the world watches--and wonders--this Shortest History is an essential, clarifying read.

Author Biography

John Zubrzycki is an Australian author with a PhD in Indian history from the University of New South Wales. A former foreign news editor with The Australian, he has worked as a correspondent in India and as a diplomat in New Delhi and Jakarta. He is the author of four books on India, most recently House of Jaipur: The Inside Story of India's Most Glamorous Royal Family.