MICHELGUGLIELMO TORRI, a former Harkness Fellow, a retired full Professor of Asian History (University of Turin), presently the president of 'Asia Maior, an Italian think tank on Asia', is the doyen of the Italian historians working on South Asia. He has widely published in Italian and English, with articles appeared in Economic and Political Weekly, the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Studies in History and The Indian Economic and Social History Review, among others.

• List of MapsPreface to the Indian EditionPreface to the Original Italian EditionIntroduction: Geographical Location and its Influence on History1. The First Indian Civilizations2. The Revolution of Mid-Millennium BC3. The First Political Unification of India: The Mauryan Empire 4. The Post-Mauryan Era: Invasions, Trade and Cultural Development 5. The 'Golden Age' of the Guptas 6. The Initial Stage of the Indian Middle Ages: The Feudal Era 7. The Era of the Sultans: Unification, Centralization and Cultural Synthesis 8. The Final Stage of the Indian Middle Ages 9. The First Phase of the Early Modern Era: The Rise and Decline of the Mughal Empire10. The Concluding Phase of the Early Modern Era: The Crisis of the Indian States and theRise of British Rule 11. The Formation of the Colonial State Key to the Bibliographical References Index

MICHELGUGLIELMO TORRI, a former Harkness Fellow, a retired full Professor of Asian History (University of Turin), presently the president of 'Asia Maior, an Italian think tank on Asia', is the doyen of the Italian historians working on South Asia. He has widely published in Italian and English, with articles appeared in Economic and Political Weekly, the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Studies in History and The Indian Economic and Social History Review, among others.

• List of MapsPreface to the Indian EditionPreface to the Original Italian EditionIntroduction: Geographical Location and its Influence on History1. The First Indian Civilizations2. The Revolution of Mid-Millennium BC3. The First Political Unification of India: The Mauryan Empire 4. The Post-Mauryan Era: Invasions, Trade and Cultural Development 5. The 'Golden Age' of the Guptas 6. The Initial Stage of the Indian Middle Ages: The Feudal Era 7. The Era of the Sultans: Unification, Centralization and Cultural Synthesis 8. The Final Stage of the Indian Middle Ages 9. The First Phase of the Early Modern Era: The Rise and Decline of the Mughal Empire10. The Concluding Phase of the Early Modern Era: The Crisis of the Indian States and theRise of British Rule 11. The Formation of the Colonial State Key to the Bibliographical References Index

MICHELGUGLIELMO TORRI, a former Harkness Fellow, a retired full Professor of Asian History (University of Turin), presently the president of 'Asia Maior, an Italian think tank on Asia', is the doyen of the Italian historians working on South Asia. He has widely published in Italian and English, with articles appeared in Economic and Political Weekly, the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Studies in History and The Indian Economic and Social History Review, among others.

• List of MapsPreface to the Indian EditionPreface to the Original Italian EditionIntroduction: Geographical Location and its Influence on History1. The First Indian Civilizations2. The Revolution of Mid-Millennium BC3. The First Political Unification of India: The Mauryan Empire 4. The Post-Mauryan Era: Invasions, Trade and Cultural Development 5. The 'Golden Age' of the Guptas 6. The Initial Stage of the Indian Middle Ages: The Feudal Era 7. The Era of the Sultans: Unification, Centralization and Cultural Synthesis 8. The Final Stage of the Indian Middle Ages 9. The First Phase of the Early Modern Era: The Rise and Decline of the Mughal Empire10. The Concluding Phase of the Early Modern Era: The Crisis of the Indian States and theRise of British Rule 11. The Formation of the Colonial State Key to the Bibliographical References Index