RETHINKING INDIAN HISTORY

AUDREY TRUSCHKE'S DEEP DIVE INTO 5,000 YEARS OF INDIAN HISTORY QUESTIONS SEVERAL PERSISTENT MYTHS ABOUT INDIA

- Bhavya Dore

The Panchatantra is possibly the second-most circulated book ever (behind the Bible).

Shiva and Krishna became popular gods only after the Vedic period, displacing Indra, Varuna and Soma. Along with Buddhism and Jainism, the Ajivika tradition was the third major religion to emerge in the fifth century BCE, but did not survive, unlike the other two. These are some of the fascinating mini-stories in India: 5,000 Years of History on the Subcontinent by the historian and Rutgers University professor Audrey Truschke.

In this sweeping overview of five millennia, Truschke synthesises existing scholarship into an account that runs from the Indus Valley civilisation to the present. So why did an academic historian venture into popular history?

"I remain convinced that historians can and should write for broad audiences," says Truschke, in an email interview. This book emerged after she was approached by Princeton University Press. "I hope that the book introduces Indian history to an entirely new audience in the United States and contributes to the embattled project to maintain fidelity to history in India."