I've just finished Norman Davies' Europe: A History which goes from prehistory neolithic up to modern times. Loved how thorough he was (for such as broad period), plus all the maps. I'm looking for something similar on India. There is plenty on Amazon, but it's hard to judge based on book reviews. Anyone here have a book or author they loved in the history of India?
So, it's often difficult to come up with a single work which succinctly sums up the the intricacies of such a vast time period and a region as large as the Indian subcontinent. Therefore, I would recommend the following :
India's Ancient Past by RS Sharma : RS Sharma provides a seemingly brief but enriching account of the Indian subcontinent from pre history to the early medieval period. He covers major Empires, economic and social life and in a relatively short work, gives a Marxist perspective on the subject. Definitions may vary based on the authors, but in this case, RS Sharma approaches Ancient India by writing the history of the standard definition "ancient" period, starting form pre-history all the way to 700 CE. He covers the emergence of Homo Sapiens, the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze and Iron Age cultures and periods. He furthers goes into the history of major political powers such the Magadhan rise, the Mauryans, the Guptas, the Satvahanas and Harsha's reign. While also tackling their socio-economic history.
A History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra, it's a work which covers the political, cultural and economic history the Indian subcontinent in the medieval period. A highly recommended work, it's a reference in universities and paints an elaborate picture of not only the courts and battlefields but also the people and their day-to-day lives. For Satish Chandra, the medieval period begins with the Tripartite Struggle, and the Rise of the Gurjara Pratiharas, Palas and the Rashtrakutas around the 8th century CE. From here he traces the social, economic, cultural and political history of the subcontinent all the way to the rise of the Maratha power in the Deccan, the Mughal Maratha conflict, and the disintegration of the Mughal Empire and ends the book around 1707
The History and Culture of the Indian People by RC Majumdar (Editor) : Not surprisingly, this encyclopedic collection of eleven volumes on the history of India, from prehistoric times to the establishment of the modern state in 1947, makes my list as yet another comprehensive work. Going through each volume, it's as if every polity, region, art, script and era has been dealt with care and due diligence. Acquiring all eleven and using them as a reference for whenever studying Indian history is highly recommended although studying each one is a time consuming delight.
History of Modern India by Bipin Chandra : Bipin Chandra provides an overview of the period from the establishment of Company rule in Bengal to Indian independence and moving away from political history he focuses on the social, economic and religious history of modern India. After going through RS Sharma and Satish Chandra, this third addition to the trio, should complete your overview of Indian history.
I did my BA in History, so I may be citing undergraduate readings on Indian history, and should be read as complimentary to the earlier comment
The South Asian history section of the subreddit booklist remains a work in progress. /u/drylaw and /u/jimedorje have made many contributions.
See also this thread about the historiography of the Indian Rebellion of 1857