• ISBN13: 9788126935352
• Binding: Hardcover
• Subject: History
• Publisher: Atlantic Publishers & Distributors (P) Ltd
• Publisher Imprint: Atlantic
• Publication Date: July 21, 2025
• Pages: 394
• Original Price: INR 995.0
• Language: English
• Edition: N/A
• Item Weight: 640 grams
• BISAC Subject(s): N/A

History of India: From the Earliest Times to the Twentieth Century (Volume 1) offers a richly detailed chronicle of the Indian subcontinent, tracing its story from the ancient, pre-Muslim civilisations through to the turbulent 18th century. With chapters spanning the Muslim conquests, the rise and fall of the Mughal Empire and the shifting power dynamics between various imperial forces, Keene paints a complex picture of a land shaped by diverse cultures, faiths and political ambitions. The narrative delves into the decline of centralised rule, the emergence of British influence and the final collapse of French ambitions in India. Drawing on contemporary scholarship and archival sources, Keene provides a thorough analysis of India's transformation up to the dawn of the British Raj. This volume is an essential foundation for understanding how centuries of conquest and resistance set the stage for colonial dominance.

Henry George Keene (1825–1915), English historian and civil servant, was born at the East India College in Haileybury, and was educated at Rugby School and Wadham College at Oxford. In 1847, he joined the Bengal Civil Service under the East India Company. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, Keene served as Superintendent in Dehradun. Despite his contributions, Keene's career was marked by disagreements with superiors, limiting his advancement to the position of district and sessions judge. He retired in 1882 with the title of Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (C.I.E.). Keene was also a prolific writer, authoring several works on Indian history, including A Sketch of the History of Hindustan (1885), The Fall of the Moghal Empire (1886) and The Great Anarchy or Darkness before Dawn (1901).

Volume 1

• Preface iii
• Chronological Analysis viii
• 1. Introduction 1
• 2. Præ-Muslim Times 11
• 3. The Muslim Conquest 32
• 4. End of The “Patháns” 59
• 5. The Mughal Empire: I 95
• 6. Decline of the Empire 129
• 7. The Hindu Revival and Rise of British Power 164
• 8. Final Overthrow of the French in India 203
• 9. The End of the Anarchy 232
• 10. Wars of Wellesley 265
• 11. The Eve of Empire 314
• 12. Review of the Foregoing 347
• Index 373