I picked up this book because I recently became interested in the history of the Gupta Empire. This book not only provided me with an engaging description of the Gupta Empire’s kings, art, and architecture but I also got a panoramic view of the entire Indian history up to 1200 AD. The author has done an excellent job in presenting historical facts without any bias.

Comprehensive Review

First published in 1952, this book is divided into 3 sections that cover prehistoric times to 600 BC, 600 BC to 300 AD, and 300 AD to 1200 AD. Majumdar begins with a detailed description of India’s physical geography and then moves on to delineate the racial elements present in India’s population. The treatment of Indus Valley Civilization is praiseworthy and the author does not engage in frivolous speculation. It is quite interesting to note that the Indus script has still not been convincingly deciphered. 

This book generally supports the Aryan invasion theory and claims that the Dravidians were pushed to Southern India. Today, in light of fresh evidence, scholars have found it difficult to accept this theory. We now hear the talk of “Aryan Migrations” and some people have posited that the Aryans were indigenous to India. Majumdar has put a paragraph describing the possible indigenous origin of Aryans alongwith a disclaimer that this view is not acceptable among mainstream scholars.

To explain the society and culture of Aryans, the author refers mostly to the Rigveda. Early political struggles and the gradual pace of settlement of Aryans in North India is described very well. Majumdar notes the high prevalence of education among women through the philosophical conversation between the Vedic sage Yajnavalkya and his wife Maitreyi as described in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. 

One of the key strengths of this book is the amazing breadth of the topics explained. Majumdar breaks down key historical events such as the foundation of Maurya Empire and invasions of Sakas & Kushanas with surgical precision. The advent of Buddhism and Jainism is properly examined and you can easily understand how these religious movements influenced Hinduism. It feels amazing to know about the massive wealth and luxury of ancient India and how our ancestors meticulously conducted trade with other parts of the globe.

The final part of the book begins with an elaborate explanation of the origin and expansion of the Gupta Empire. The exploits of the great king Samudragupta raised the extent of the Gupta Empire from Bengal to Gujarat. Even kings from the southern part of the country sought favour of the mighty Guptas. The wonderful works of art,culture, science, and literature composed during the Gupta age remain unparalleled. No wonder the Gupta Empire is universally acknowledged as the Golden Age of India.

Majumdar has devoted considerable scholarship to explaining all the relevant historical details about every part of India, be it Kashmir, the Deccan, the Northern states, Odisha, Bengal, or the Southern states. Even the history of Nepal is well described. The author concludes the book with a comprehensive examination of the expansion of Indian empires into far eastern regions such as Burma (Myanmar), Malay Peninsula, Cambodia, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo. 

The only issue with this book is that it can appear to be outdated in some aspects, especially if you want to know more about the Indus Valley Civilization. But overall, this book offers the reader the most detailed and factual description of the great Indian empires of yore. You should not skip this great work if you want to dive deep into India’s ancient past.

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