Recently, I have gained an interest in pre-colonial India, but I only just realized how complex it all was. I was wondering if there were any worthwhile books/texts for an incomer to the area, especially since I haven't been able to find any. This is purely for self-interest, and I apologize if this isn't an appropriate post for this subreddit.
Kulke's and Rothermund's "History of India" is very concise and available online, it could serve as an introduction. Another good place to start would be Burton Stein's "History of India", as he's a specialist on pre-modern South Asia and its state formation.
For something a bit more in-depth on pre-modern India see Upinder Singh's A History of Ancient and Medieval India. Let me know if you're looking for sources on anything more specific.