India's written tradition is one of the oldest and largest in the world, and the English-language shelf reflects every era of contact with it: Victorian translations of Sanskrit texts, colonial histories and gazetteers, the art history of the mid-twentieth century and the post-independence scholarship that rewrote much of what came before.
For art, the essential distinction is between the sculptural and temple traditions and the painting traditions of the Mughal, Rajput and Pahari courts. For religion and philosophy, look for translations with full commentary rather than paraphrase.
Where to start
The Wonder That Was India (in stock) — A. L. Basham, 1954. The classic one-volume survey of ancient Indian civilisation.
Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300 — Romila Thapar, 2002. The modern standard history of early India.
Myths and Symbols in Indian Art and Civilization — Heinrich Zimmer, 1946. Edited by Joseph Campbell; how Indian myth and image fit together.
The Art of India: Traditions of Indian Sculpture, Painting and Architecture — Stella Kramrisch, 1954. Kramrisch's survey, with Raymond Burnier's photographs.
Indian Art — Partha Mitter, 2001. The Oxford History of Art volume: a short, modern overview.
Books on India: History, Religion & Art in stock (89)
The philosophy of sādhanā by Debabrata Sen Sharma — $37.74 The Philosophy of Sādhanā, With Special Reference to the Trika Philosophy of Kashmir is a study of spiritual practice by Deba Brata SenSharma, with a foreword by Paul Muller-Ortega, published by State University of New…
The Ramayana and The Mahabharata by Romesh C. Dutt — $4.75 The Ramayana and The Mahabharata is a 1969 Everyman's Library paperback of the two Sanskrit epics of India, condensed into English verse by Romesh C. Dutt.
The Ten Principal Upanishads by Swami Shree, W. Yeats — $5.01 The Ten Principal Upanishads is a translation of the principal Hindu Upanishads, put into English by W. B. Yeats and the Indian scholar Shree Purohit Swami, issued as a Collier Books paperback (Macmillan) in 1975.
Bhagavad Gita by Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan — $9.14 The Bhagavadgita, with an introductory essay, the Sanskrit text, an English translation and notes by S. Radhakrishnan, issued as a Harper Torchbooks paperback by Harper & Row in 1973.
The Wonder That Was India by A. L. Basham — $10.54 The Wonder That Was India, by A. L. Basham, is a study of the history and culture of the Indian sub-continent before the coming of the Muslims.
History & Culture of the Chamba State by Vishwa Chander Ohri — $28.49 History and Culture of the Chamba State: A Western Himalayan Kingdom is a volume of collected papers from a seminar held at Chamba in 1983, edited by Vishwa Chander Ohri with Amar Nath Khanna as assistant editor.
The Heritage of The Bhikkhu by Walpola Rahula — $28.49 The Heritage of the Bhikkhu: A Short History of the Bhikkhu in Educational, Cultural, Social, and Political Life is a study by Walpola Rahula, published by Grove Press, New York, in the Evergreen paperback series (1974).
Flames of devotion: oil lamps from South and Southeast Asia and the Himalayas by Sean Anderson — $8.29 Exhibition catalogue by Sean Anderson, published in 2006 by the UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History (Fowler in Focus series), on oil lamps and incense burners from South and Southeast Asia and the Himalayas.
The Gonds of Central India by Shelagh Weir — $8.05 The Gonds of Central India: The Material Culture of the Gonds of Chhindwara District, Madhya Pradesh is a British Museum publication of 1973, edited by Shelagh Weir with an introduction by Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf.
Architecture and Art Treasures in Pakistan by F. A. Khan — $26.91 Architecture and Art Treasures in Pakistan: Prehistoric, Protohistoric, Buddhist and Hindu Periods is an illustrated survey by Dr. F. A. Khan, then Director of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Pakistan, published…
Every Rock, Every Hill by Victoria Schofield — $10.28 Every Rock, Every Hill: The Plain Tale of the North-West Frontier and Afghanistan is a history by Victoria Schofield, published in 1985 by Salem House (351 pages, illustrated).
Travellers Delhi, Agra & Rajasthan by Douglas Corrance, Melissa Shales — $6.01 Travellers: Delhi, Agra & Rajasthan is a travel guidebook published by Thomas Cook Publishing in 2002, written by Melissa Shales with photography by Douglas Corrance.
Sītā's kitchen by Ramchandra Gandhi — $9.00 Sītā's Kitchen: A Testimony of Faith and Inquiry is a work of Indian philosophy by Ramchandra Gandhi, published by State University of New York Press in 1992.
Uttar Pradesh District Gazetteers: Agra by Esha Basanti Joshi — $28.49 Agra is a volume in the Uttar Pradesh District Gazetteers series, edited by Esha Basanti Joshi as State Editor and published in 1965 by the Government of Uttar Pradesh, Department of District Gazetteers, Lucknow.
Ajanta: Painting of the Sacred and the Secular by Madanjeet Singh — $28.49 Ajanta: Painting of the Sacred and the Secular is a book on the Buddhist cave paintings of Ajanta in India by Madanjeet Singh, published by The Macmillan Company, New York, in 1965.
Expedition Naga by Peter Van Ham, Peter van Ham, Jamie Saul — $9.19 Expedition Naga: Diaries from the Hills in Northeast India 1921-1937, 2002-2006 is a illustrated travel and photographic account by Peter van Ham and Jamie Saul, with a foreword by Alan Macfarlane, published by the…
The Song of God: Bhagavad-Gita by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood — $8.38 The Song of God: Bhagavad-Gita is an English translation of the Hindu scripture by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood, with an introduction by Aldous Huxley.
Plain Tales from the Hills by Rudyard Kipling — $28.49 Plain Tales from the Hills by Rudyard Kipling, a collection of short stories set in British India, in the revised edition published in 1915 by Doubleday, Page & Company for the Review of Reviews Co. The title page…
The Sari: Styles, Patterns, History, Techniques by Sanjay K. Singh, Linda Lynton — $6.29 The Sari: Styles, Patterns, History, Techniques is an illustrated study of Indian sari design by Linda Lynton, with photographs by Sanjay K. Singh, published by Harry N. Abrams in 1995.
Kavitavali by Tulsi Das — $10.43 Kavitavali by Tulsi Das, translated with a critical introduction by F. R. Allchin (Raymond Allchin) and published in New York by A. S. Barnes & Co. in 1964.
Hindu gods and goddesses by A. G. Mitchell — $25.48 Hindu Gods and Goddesses is an introduction to Hindu iconography by A. G. Mitchell, published by H.M.S.O. for the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1982.
Mission with Mountbatten by Alan Campbell-Johnson — $48.00 Mission with Mountbatten is a memoir and diary-based account of the 1947 transfer of power in India by Alan Campbell-Johnson, press attaché to Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy.
The Hindu Pantheon by Edward Tyomkin, Margarita Vorobyova-Desyatovskaya — $13.94 An introduction to the Hindu pantheon by Edward Tyomkin and Margarita Vorobyova-Desyatovskaya, published by Garnet Publishing in the mid-1990s.
Buddhism in Sinhalese society, 1750-1900 by Kitsiri Malalgoda — $46.21 Buddhism in Sinhalese Society, 1750-1900: A Study of Religious Revival and Change is a historical study by Kitsiri Malalgoda, published by the University of California Press in 1976.
Master dyers to the world by Mattiebelle Gittinger — $6.63 Master Dyers to the World by Mattiebelle Gittinger (The Textile Museum, Washington, 1982, 208 pages), subtitled Technique and Trade in Early Indian Dyed Cotton Textiles.
Kabir legends and Ananta-das's Kabir Parachai by David N. Lorenzen — $12.56 Kabir Legends and Ananta-das's Kabir Parachai by David N. Lorenzen (State University of New York Press, 1991, 268 pages).
The Hye Ch'o diary by Hyechʻo — $28.49 A translation of the Hye Ch'o diary, the memoir of the pilgrimage to the five regions of India by the 8th-century Korean Buddhist monk Hyecho.
Flames of devotion: oil lamps from South and Southeast Asia and the Himalayas by Sean Anderson — $13.29 An exhibition catalogue from the UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History (2006), Flames of Devotion, on oil lamps and incense burners from South and Southeast Asia and the Himalayas donated by Chitralekha and…
Life of Hsuan Tsang by Ts'Ung Yen, Li Hui — $27.55 A translation of The Life of Hsüan-tsang by the monks Hui-li and Yen-ts'ung, the biography of the seventh-century Chinese Buddhist pilgrim to India.
Buddhist Art in India by Albert Grünwedel — $36.10 Buddhist Art in India, by Albert Grünwedel, published by Susil Gupta (1965), 228 pages, second edition.
Elephants and ivories in South Asia by Pratapaditya Pal — $6.20 An exhibition catalogue by Pratapaditya Pal from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (1981) on elephants in South Asian art, literature and mythology, with a focus on ivory carving.
Living Architecture: Indian by Andreas Volwahsen — $25.65 A volume on Indian architecture by Andreas Volwahsen in the Living Architecture series, published by Grosset & Dunlap in 1969.
The Indian heritage by Skelton — $8.89 The Indian Heritage: Court Life & Arts under Mughal Rule, by Robert Skelton, the catalogue of the Victoria & Albert Museum exhibition held from 21 April to 22 August 1982.
Kundalini by Ajit Mookerjee — $4.72 Kundalini: The Arousal of the Inner Energy by Ajit Mookerjee, an illustrated study of the Tantric concept of kundalini, the coiled spiritual energy said to lie at the base of the spine.
Kali: The Feminine Force by Ajit Mookerjee — $23.75 Kali: The Feminine Force by Ajit Mookerjee, an illustrated study of the Hindu goddess Kali and the Shakti tradition, published by Inner Traditions in 1988.
Gods, Priests, and Warriors: The Bhrgus of the Mahābhārata by Robert P. Goldman — $25.65 Gods, Priests, and Warriors: The Bhrgus of the Mahabharata, a scholarly study by Robert P. Goldman of the Bhrigu (Bhargava) priestly lineage in the Sanskrit epic, published by Columbia University Press in 1977.
Sacred Cows, Sacred Places by Deryck O. Lodrick — $10.25 Sacred Cows, Sacred Places: Origins and Survivals of Animal Homes in India by Deryck O. Lodrick, published by the University of California Press in 1981.
The Indus Civilization by Sir Mortimer Wheeler — $7.86 The Indus Civilization by Sir Mortimer Wheeler is the third edition (Cambridge University Press, 1968), issued as a supplementary volume to The Cambridge History of India.
Monty's grandfather by Brian Montgomery — $6.20 Monty's Grandfather: A Life's Service for the Raj is a 1984 biography of Sir Robert Montgomery (1809-1887), the British colonial administrator in India, written by Brian Montgomery.
The art of India by C. Sivaramurti — $35.70 The Art of India is a survey of Indian art by Calambur Sivaramamurti, published by Harry N. Abrams, New York.
Jain Cosmology by Crown — $21.64 The Jain Cosmology is an illustrated study by Collette Caillat and Ravi Kumar, with English rendering by R. Norman, first published in English in 1982 (Harmony Books, Crown; originally published by Ravi Kumar, Basel…
Himalayan Towers: Temples and Palaces of Himachal Pradesh by Ronald M. Bernier — $94.74 Himalayan Towers: Temples and Palaces of Himachal Pradesh is a study of the architecture of Himachal Pradesh in northern India by Ronald M. Bernier, published by S. Chand & Company in New Delhi in 1989.
Himalayan Adventure: Early Travels in North East India 1983 by Christoph von Fürer Haimendorf — $36.55 Himalayan Adventure: Early Travels in North-East India is a travel account by the anthropologist Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf, published by Sterling Publishers in New Delhi in 1983.
India by Martin Hürlimann — $28.49 India is a photographic survey of the country by the Swiss photographer Martin Hürlimann, published in New York by The Viking Press as a Studio Book in 1967.
The Kashmir Shawl by John Irwin — $10.66 The Kashmir Shawl is a Victoria & Albert Museum publication by John Irwin, issued in London by Her Majesty's Stationery Office in 1973.
Tie-dyed Textiles of India: Tradition and Trade by Veronica Murphy and Rosemary Crill — $13.75 Tie-dyed Textiles of India: Tradition and Trade is a 1991 study by Veronica Murphy and Rosemary Crill, part of the Victoria and Albert Museum's Indian Art Series, published by Rizzoli in association with the V&A and…
After the Masters: Contemporary Indian Architecture by Vikram Bhatt and Peter Scriver — $23.96 After the Masters: Contemporary Indian Architecture is a book on modern architecture in India by Vikram Bhatt and Peter Scriver, published by Mapin Publishing, Ahmedabad, in 1990.
A Dictionary of Indian History by Sachchidananda Bhattacharya — $5.44 A Dictionary of Indian History is a reference work by Sachchidananda Bhattacharya, published by George Braziller in New York in 1967.
Kulu by Penelope Chetwode — $18.74 Kulu: The End of the Habitable World is a travel account by Penelope Chetwode, published in 1972.
Handwoven fabrics of India by Dhamija — $10.90 Handwoven Fabrics of India is an illustrated book on Indian handloom textiles, edited by Jasleen Dhamija and Jyotindra Jain and published by Mapin Publishing in Ahmedabad in 1989.
My Road to India by Nilla Cram Cook — $28.49 My Road to India is a 1939 travel memoir by Nilla Cram Cook, published in New York by Lee Furman, Inc. It is the author's personal account of her journey to India and her time there, written in English.
Boats and Boatmen of Pakistan by Basil Greenhill — $13.23 Boats and Boatmen of Pakistan is a study of the traditional working boats and the boatmen of Pakistan, written by Basil Greenhill, with a foreword by Alan Villiers.
Philip's Senoia by Allan Menzies — $28.49 The Religions of India: Brahmanism and Buddhism is a short handbook by the Rev. Allan Menzies, D.D., published in London by J. M. Dent and Co. in the Temple Series of Bible Characters and Scripture Handbooks, edited by…
Yoga by Ernest Wood — $28.49 Yoga by Ernest Wood is a Pelican Original paperback published by Penguin Books in 1959, running to 263 pages.
The Yoga of the Bhagavad Gita by Sri Krishna Prem — $22.85 The Yoga of the Bhagavat Gita is a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita by Sri Krishna Prem, issued in the Penguin Metaphysical Library (Penguin Books, 1973 paperback printing).
India and Daily Life in Bengal by Z. F. Griffin — $18.90 India and Daily Life in Bengal is a missionary's account by Z. F. Griffin, published for the author in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1896.
Kama Shilpa by Francis Leeson — $9.67 Kama Shilpa: A Study of Indian Sculpture Depicting Love in Action is a study of erotic Indian sculpture by Francis Leeson, published in Bombay by D. B. Taraporevala Sons & Co. in 1962.
Hindu Deities in Thai art by Gauri Devi — $38.35 Hindu Deities in Thai Art is a study of Hindu gods and goddesses and their iconography in the art of Thailand, written by Gauri Devi and published in New Delhi in 1996 by the International Academy of Indian Culture and…
The Arts of India by Basil Gray — $12.18 The Arts of India is a survey of Indian art edited by Basil Gray and published by Cornell University Press (Cornell/Phaidon Books) in 1981.
A Brief History of the Indian Peoples by Sir William Wilson Hunter — $28.49 A Brief History of the Indian Peoples is a survey of Indian history by Sir William Wilson Hunter, published by the Clarendon Press, Oxford, in 1893.
India's Love Lyrics: Including the Garden of Kama by Laurence Hope — $11.95 A volume of verse by Laurence Hope, the pen name of Adela Florence Nicolson, including The Garden of Kama, published by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1922.
Women Saints of East and West by Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre — $18.76 Women Saints of East and West, first edition, published by the Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre in 1955.
The Biological Basis of Religion and Genius by Gopi Krishna — $8.86 The Biological Basis of Religion and Genius by Gopi Krishna, first edition, published by Harper & Row in 1972.
India in Books, Photographs, Maps and Manuscripts by Bonhams — $14.20 An auction catalogue from the London auction house Bonhams (2006) for a sale of India in books, photographs, maps and manuscripts.
The India I Love by Marie-Simone Renou — $18.26 The India I Love by Marie-Simone Renou, published by Tudor Publishing Company in 1968.
Indian Drawings and Painted Sketches: 16th Through 19th Centuries by Stuart Cary Welch — $6.77 An exhibition catalogue, Indian Drawings and Painted Sketches: 16th Through 19th Centuries, by Stuart Cary Welch, from The Asia Society in association with John Weatherhill, 1976.
Mughal Miniatures by Lalit Kala Akademi — $33.20 A catalogue titled Mughal Miniatures, published by the Lalit Kala Akademi (1955), India's national academy of art.
Folklore of Himachal Pradesh by M.R. Thakur — $18.05 A study of the folklore of Himachal Pradesh in the western Indian Himalaya, by M. R. Thakur (Indus Publishing Company, 2006).
The Culture and Art of India by Radhakamal Mukerjee — $18.05 The Culture and Art of India, by Radhakamal Mukerjee, published by Frederick A. Praeger, New York (1959), 447 pages.
Non-Dualism in Saiva and Sakta Philosophy by Nundo Lal Kundu — $19.00 A philosophical study of non-dualism in Saiva and Sakta thought by Nundo Lal Kundu, published by Firma KLM in Calcutta in 1983.
Das Antlitz Indiens by Erik Singer — $61.75 A German-language photographic book on India by Erik Singer, published by the Prague publisher Artia in 1960 under the title Das Antlitz Indiens (The Face of India).
Geschichte Indiens by Prof. Dr. Emil Schmidt — $47.50 A German-language history of India by Prof. Dr. Emil Schmidt, published by the Bibliographisches Institut in 1923.
Art of India and Southeast Asia by Hugo Munsterberg — $39.90 A survey of the art of India and Southeast Asia by Hugo Munsterberg, published by Harry N. Abrams in 1970.
Kashmir by Jawaharlal Nehru — $76.00 A pictorial book on Kashmir credited to Jawaharlal Nehru, published in 1956 by the Publications Division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.
Haji Sir Abdoola Haroon: A Biography by Alhaj Mian Ahmad Shafi — $57.00 A biography of Haji Sir Abdoola Haroon by Alhaj Mian Ahmad Shafi, published in 1942.
Night Falls on Siva's Hill by Edward Thompson — $95.00 Night Falls on Siva's Hill, a novel by Edward Thompson, published by Lincoln MacVeagh and The Dial Press in 1929.
Indian Silver by Pathak, S. K. — $7.55 A history of Indian silverwork by S.K.