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The Making of India: A History Survey
Ranbir Vohra
London: M.E. Sharpe Inc., 1997
ISBN 1-56324-695-3
This work by Ranbir Vohra attempts an ambitious project that is always going to be extremely difficult to achieve, given the vast breadth of time from the Indus civilisation to the present day. That he succeeds in writing a highly readable survey of Indian history is then no mean achievement. However, the light it casts on the subject is not so much a series of spotlights as subdued background lighting that suggests to the reader there is much more to see, but without ever really allowing the reader to see the detail. It is here that the weaknesses of the book are revealed.
In his Preface, Vohra claims he is writing the book for the educated generalist and the student who, he claims, have a limited understanding of Indian affairs....