Historian Audrey Truschke has authored a comprehensive new book titled India: 5000 Years of History on the Subcontinent, offering a wide-ranging account of South Asia’s history from the Indus Valley Civilization to modern-day India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

Published by Princeton University Press, the book aims to reshape the understanding of the region’s diverse and dynamic past.

Key Highlights:

• The book spans political, cultural, religious, and intellectual developments over 5,000 years, including the roles of women, Dalits, and other marginalized communities.
• It explores the rise and spread of major religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, and Sikhism across the subcontinent.
• Dynasties such as the Mauryas, Cholas, and Mughals are examined alongside the colonial era and modern political movements.
• Audrey Truschke presents India’s history through the lens of diversity, long-distance trade, migration, and global interactions.
• The book is described as the most ambitious scholarly survey of South Asian history in over two decades and has received praise for its depth, clarity, and inclusivity.