8 books on the Hidden History of India

India is a major Subcontinent of South Asia and was vast before the division. India was a self-sufficient and flourishing economy, popularly known as “the golden eagle “. Unfortunately, a lot of history before the invasion is missing from our books. Chakulya, Satvahana, Chola, and Pandavas are a few of the dynasties of the south which are not mentioned in school textbooks. Even the glorious rulers such as Chandragupt and Vikramaditya of the east are also forgotten day by day. Many of us even after extensive research don’t know about the longest ruling dynasty in the world Ningthouja dynasty which ruled Manipur for nearly  2000 years. Today, Kashmir is a matter of concern but the history of Kashmir and the great ruler Maharaja Latitaditya Muktapida is also nowhere to be found in history textbooks these days.

In this article, we have handpicked eight books that help us dive deep into history and explore the hidden history of the country. History teaches us about the past, the culture, tradition, and even the past mistakes only then we can learn and improve but when we remove a large chunk of history from the textbooks we take away the opportunity to learn.

books on history

There are very few among the Rulers of India whose history is as rich in both contents and materials as the history of Harsha. His early life and career form the subject matter of the Harsha-Charita of Banabhatta. The India of Harsha is also described by another eye-witness, the famous Chinese pilgrim, Yuan Chwang, whose account reads like a Gazetteer in the scope of its inquiry and its wealth of details. To add to these two unique sources, we have several inscriptions of Harsha himself, a few of his great contemporary, Pulakeshin II of the Deccan, and the larger body of inscriptions of the Gupta and later kings of northern India, which together throw considerable light on the history of Harsha, especially on the interesting but imperfectly explored topic of the administrative system developed in that glorious age for the successful governance of extensive empires.

This book tells us about the history of Maharana Raj Singh and how he became the ruler of Mewar at a very critical juncture in its history. As soon as the ascended the throne, Shah Jahan sent the largest Mughal force that had ever ventured into Mewar. Then followed the last sack of Chitor. Raj Singh however soon had his revenge. When Aurangzeb rebelled against his father he sought Raj Singh’s support and offered to restore what Raj Singh had lost earlier. The Maharana spun out the negotiations till Aurangzeb had finally defeated his father.

The present work relates to the political organization in Northern India during the period from 600 A.D. to 1200 A.D. It describes, in detail, how several Kingdoms emerged and how their rulers claimed divinity and possessed absolute powers over their subjects. The work is based on literary, epigraphic, and foreign accounts. It is critical, informative, and intelligible.

This book is an attempt to trace the history of Some Early Dynasties of South India. In this context, the author has tried to reconcile the Puranic versions with the epigraphic and numismatic sources. The author has traced the history of Satavahanas and their immediate successors. This book gives an account of the lesser-known history of South India.

In the present volume, for the first time, a connected history of the Chauhans, from their beginnings in Bhrgukachchha in the eighth century A.D. to the time of Ala-ud-din Khalji and Hammira in the fourteenth century has been presented. The author has shown that the Agnikula myth goes back to the Ramayana and is, in fact, traditional to Aryan Hindus. He also establishes conclusively that contrary to the common belief that India fell easy prey to Muslim invaders, and the resistance of the Hindu rulers broke down after the defeat of Prithviraj, the descendants of the Chauhan Emperor, even after they lost Ajmer, continued to fight with determination for two hundred years. Considerable new light is also thrown on the relations between the Chaulukya Empire and the Chauhans of Sakambhari, especially during the reigns of Siddharaja and Kumarapala. A valuable portion of the book is devoted to the social and economic condition of the Chauhan territory during the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries. The enumeration and identification of the towns and villages in the country collected from the literature of the time are especially important.

The book presents the history and the doctrines of the Ajivikas who formed a third heretical sect besides the sect of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, and that of Mahavira Vardhamana, the twenty-fourth Tirthankara of the Jainas. The three heterodox sects react against the ritualistic creed of the Vedists. The cult of Ajivikas was founded by Makkhali Gosal, the contemporary of Mahavira Vardhamana, based on strict determinism with a belief in the all-embracing rule of Niyati (principle of order). According to Gosal, it was Niyati that ultimately governed our action, controlled phenomena, and left no room for human volition. It will shed new light on an interesting and significant aspect of India’s past and encourage further research. This book is divided into fifteen chapters discussing elaborately different aspects of the subject matter.

This book deals with the history of the early rulers of Khajuraho, in fourteen chapters. The author deals with the history of Candellas of Bundelkhand and defines their territory. He also traces the history of this distinguished family of rulers and recounts their power, their struggles with Muslims, and their conflicts with Cedis. This book is based on research and detailed study from diverse sources. It also gives a picture of the political, social economic, religious, and cultural life of Bundelkhand and offers a survey of its magnificent art and culture.

Kalhana’s Rajatarangini is the oldest and fullest record of Kashmir history. Sir Stein, recognizing the inestimable value of the only work of its kind, succeeded in publishing the critical edition of the text as early as 1892. Kalhana’s Rajatarangini is the most famous historical poem which records the oldest and fullest history of the legendary kings of Kashmir from the earliest times to the date of its composition.

At Indicbrands, we aim to preserve the tradition and rich culture of India. With this article, we hope you explore the vast history of our country. we have handpicked eight books that tell us about rulers such as Harsha and Maharana Raj Singh, the dynasties of north and south India, and the history of Kashmir. You can check more books on History and various other topics on our website http://indicbrands.com, you can also read about Hinduism on our page http://hindumediawiki.comand you can connect with us on our Twitter account https://twitter.com/indicbrands.