Random House New Releases - History - India - Between May 18, 2012 and June 17, 2013.

Basti by Frances W. Pritchett

2012-12-26T00:30:00-05:00

Basti
Written by Intizar Husain
Translated by Frances W. Pritchett
Introduction by Asif Farrukhi

An NYRB Classics Original

Basti is a beautifully written reckoning with the tragic history of Pakistan. Basti means settlement, a common place, and Intizar Husain’s extraordinary novel begins with a mythic, even mystic, vision of harmony between old and young, man and woman, Muslim and Hindu. Then Zakir, the hero, wakes to the modern world. Crowds gather. Slogans echo. Cities burn. Whether hunkered down with family or furtively meeting to exchange news with friends in cafés, Zakir is alone in a country lost to the politics of loneliness.

Basti by Frances W. Pritchett

2012-12-26T00:30:00-05:00

Basti
Written by Intizar Husain
Translated by Frances W. Pritchett
Introduction by Asif Farrukhi

The Age of Kali by William Dalrymple

2012-10-02T00:30:00-05:00

The Age of Kali
Written by William Dalrymple

From the author of The Last Mughal and Nine Lives: the classic stories he gathered during the ten years he spent journeying across the Indian subcontinent, from Sri Lanka and southern India to the North West Frontier of Pakistan. As he searched for evidence of Kali Yug, the “age of darkness” predicted by an ancient Hindu cosmology in a final epoch of strife and corruption, Dalrymple encountered a region that thrilled and surprised him. Venturing to places rarely visited by foreigners, he presents compelling portraits of a diverse range of figures—from a Hindi rap megastar through the Tamil Tigers to the drug lords of Pakistan. Dalrymple's love for the subcontinent comes across in every page, which makes its chronicles of political corruption, ethnic violence and social disintegration all the more poignant. The result is a dark yet vibrant travelogue, and a unique look at a region that continues to be marked by rapid change and unlimited possibilities as it struggles to reconcile the forces of modernity and tradition.

The Age of Kali by William Dalrymple

2012-10-02T00:30:00-05:00

The Age of Kali
Written by William Dalrymple

Indian Castles 1206-1526 by Brian Delf

2012-06-19T00:30:00-05:00

Indian Castles 1206-1526 The Rise and Fall of the Delhi Sultanate
Written by Konstantin Nossov
Illustrated by Brian Delf

From the beginning of the 11th century onwards, the constant sate of war amongst the various Indian kingdoms left them open to outside attack, and Muslim Turkic tribesmen began to pour over the north-west border from modern-day Afghanistan. These raiders consolidated their successes and by 1206 a Muslim state, the Sultanate of Delhi, had been founded, which then extended its direct rule or influence over most of the subcontinent.

A turbulent period followed. The Sultanate was in constant flux as five dynasties rose and fell: Mamluk or Slave (1206-90), Khalji (1290-1320), Tughluq (1320-1413), Sayyid (1414-51), and Lodi (1451-1526). 19 out of the 35 Sultans died at the hands of assassins and the Sultanate was torn by factional rivalries and court intrigues. As a consequence of this, the territory under its direct control expanded and shrank depending on the personality, fortunes and military success of each individual Sultan.

This era is considered to be the defining age of Indian castle and fortification design. The instability and feudal division of the country throughout the greater part of the period led to the intense fortification of many of the provinces, as each small lord sought to bolster his position by constructing castles. It was also the period during which Indian castles started to show their defining features, elements of which would be modified in later years as the technology of siege warfare evolved. The combined influence of the Islamic and Hindu architectural tradition lends these fortifications a unique and exotic style.

This book covers all the major sites of the period, including the fabled seven medieval cities on the site of present-day Delhi, as well as the most prominent sieges.

India by Patrick French

2012-06-05T00:30:00-05:00

India A Portrait
Written by Patrick French

A monumental biography of the Indian subcontinent from the award-winning author of The World Is What It Is: The Authorized Biography of V. S. Naipaul.

Second only to China in the magnitude of its economic miracle and second to none in its potential to shape the new century, India is fast undergoing one of the most momentous transformations the world has ever seen. In this dazzlingly panoramic book, Patrick French chronicles that epic change, telling human stories to explain a larger national narrative. With a familiarity and insight few Westerners could approach, he provides a vital corrective to the many outdated notions about a uniquely dynamic and consequential nation.

Elite Forces of India and Pakistan by Paul Hannon

2012-05-22T00:30:00-05:00

Elite Forces of India and Pakistan
Written by Kenneth Conboy
Illustrated by Paul Hannon

eBook, 64 pages | Osprey Publishing | History - Military; History - Military - Special Forces; History - India | $14.95 | May 22, 2012 | 978-1-78096-767-7 (1-78096-767-5)

Influenced by the German use of paratroopers early in World War II (1939-1945), General Sir Robert Cassels, the Commander-in-Chief India, ordered the formation of an airborne cadre in October 1940. Thus marked the origins of India's first élite units. Pakistan can trace the origins of its own army airborne to the common parentage of British-raised forces. Following the partition from India in August 1947, it raised its own Special Service Group, with individually specialised companies including desert, mountain, ranger and underwater warfare units. This remarkable volume by Kenneth Conboy details the history, organisation, uniforms and insignia of the élite forces of India and Pakistan. Also covered are the elite forces of Afghanistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.

Random House New Releases - History - India - Between May 18, 2012 and June 17, 2013.

Basti by Frances W. Pritchett

Basti Written by Intizar Husain Translated by Frances W. Pritchett Introduction by Asif Farrukhi

Basti by Frances W. Pritchett

Basti Written by Intizar Husain Translated by Frances W. Pritchett Introduction by Asif Farrukhi

The Age of Kali by William Dalrymple

The Age of Kali Written by William Dalrymple

The Age of Kali by William Dalrymple

The Age of Kali Written by William Dalrymple

Indian Castles 1206-1526 by Brian Delf

Indian Castles 1206-1526 The Rise and Fall of the Delhi SultanateWritten by Konstantin Nossov Illustrated by Brian Delf

India by Patrick French

India A PortraitWritten by Patrick French

Elite Forces of India and Pakistan by Paul Hannon

Elite Forces of India and Pakistan Written by Kenneth Conboy Illustrated by Paul Hannon

Basti
Written by Intizar Husain
Translated by Frances W. Pritchett
Introduction by Asif Farrukhi

Basti
Written by Intizar Husain
Translated by Frances W. Pritchett
Introduction by Asif Farrukhi

The Age of Kali
Written by William Dalrymple

The Age of Kali
Written by William Dalrymple

Indian Castles 1206-1526 The Rise and Fall of the Delhi Sultanate
Written by Konstantin Nossov
Illustrated by Brian Delf

India A Portrait
Written by Patrick French

Elite Forces of India and Pakistan
Written by Kenneth Conboy
Illustrated by Paul Hannon