THE BATTLES THAT SHAPED INDIAN HISTORY

“The Battles that Shaped Indian History” was my first book which was written in the period 2009 to 2011. It came about while browsing through a book store in Delhi, trying to find a book on India’s battles. That’s when I realised that there was so little writing on India’s military heritage (a trend that has fortunately changed in the past few years). Most versions of the battles were biased and told from a foreign viewpoint which presented a blinkered version. So I set about to analyse some of India’s major battles and covered them in ‘The Battles that Shaped Indian History’

The book provides a concise, factual account of the battles that have decided India’s destiny. It covers a spectrum spanning almost two and a half millennia- from Alexandra’s battle with King Porus on the banks of the Jhelum River in 326 BC to India’s decisive victory over Pakistan in 1971. Twelve of India’s major battles have been covered, each embellished with detailed maps and photographs. The characteristics of the main protagonists, the tactics and weaponry utilized by both sides and also the turning moment of the battles have been enumerated to make the battles come alive and help the reader understand them better.

The Battles that have been covered are

The Battle of Jhelum River
The Battle of Tarain
The three battles of Panipat
Siege of Chittor and HaldiGhati
Buxar and Plassey
Kashmir 1947, 1962 Indo-China War, 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars.

The book provides an interesting and incisive account of India’s militaryhistory and provides an illuminating overview of its battles. It highlights the thinking of Indian armies down the ages and also brings out the inherent flaws and weaknesses which were so often exploited by foreign invaders. It provides an overview of India’s history and brings out the relevance that these battles have today and in our future.

Release

The book was released in November 2011 at a Seminar in Delhi by Lt Gen J P Singh.