Ancient India -- From Origin to the 13th Century

Author: (Italian) Abanis, translated by Liu Qing and others
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Features: Since the first contact between East and West, the West has been fascinated by India, while India's response to the West has varied with different historical contexts and backgrounds. The complex, sometimes even contradictory Indian civilization has both sparked the interest of many and been a subject of controversy. The perception of India from the outside has long been plagued by prejudice and bias. Only recently have people begun to demand a fair and scientific view of India and its people, but this remains only a goal. In India, historical traditions still play a very important role, so understanding ancient Indian civilization can help us better understand this populous country today. Over the past five thousand years, India has undergone continuous changes, and the extraordinary continuity of its historical traditions may be unique in the world, which can only scholars in related fields. This book will strive to depict the vast geographical and temporal panorama of this civilization. The book is divided into three parts: the first part introduces the major events in Indian history from 3000 BC to the 12th century AD, when Muslim invaders arrived; the second part describes daily life, social and political structures, village and urban life, art and aesthetics, the world of gods, and the religious beliefs of Indians during the aforementioned period; the third part provides a series of travel itineraries for tourists to discover and appreciate the most important aesthetic and religious sites in the country. The book is accompanied by exquisite, captivating images with concise captions, but their elegant and beautiful scenes often also obscure the more sensual aspects. In addition to the text, there are also color charts, illustrations, and black-and-white maps as supplementary materials.