The Past Before Us

“Ancient Indian civilization was perceived as lacking historical consciousness. To this ‘now dog-eared argument,” Thapar, one of the most prominent Indian historians living today, delivers a strong counterargument. Yet the book is not written polemically; rather, it is a careful and judicious account based on Thapar”s erudition in Indian history and years of research on the subject… Reading this book would be an educative experience for many, not only for scholars of India.”—Q. E. Wang, Choice

“From a scholar at the pinnacle of her field comes the much-anticipated book on ancient Indian historiography, The Past Before Us—a rich feast, and a work of the highest scholarship. It will be cited and commented on for years to come. Anyone interested in the question of historical consciousness and historical writings cross-culturally, or in ancient India, will have to read Romila Thapar’s masterpiece, which is destined to be a classic in the field.”—Thomas Trautmann, author of Aryans and British India and Languages and Nations: The Dravidian Proof in Colonial Madras