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Article: Indian history - From the start.(Review)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- July 15, 2000
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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INDIA: A HISTORY. By John Keay. Atlantic Monthly; 576 pages; $37.50. Harper Collins; Pounds24.99
WERE it not for invasions, immigrations and trade, the history of India would read like that of the world. India was indeed the whole world to orthodox Hindus, who once "lost caste" by venturing beyond its shores. Whoever aspires to tell the story of its dynastic flux and cross- hatching of religions and cultures risks the meanwhile-in-South-America syndrome that can afflict histories of the planet. John Keay, a gifted non-academic historian, dodges this pitfall admirably in his new history, especially in his treatment of India's first 4,500 years.
Mr Keay ...