Indian Empire – Its People, History and Products By William Wilson Hunter

William Wilson Hunter is one of the most respected British historians, to have lived during the days of the Raj. This book is the distill of historical material contained in his monumental “Imperial Gazetteer of India” in 26 volumes (which in itself is the condensed form of the 128 volume Statistical Survey of India, collated by Hunter, again). The book in planned chronologically : it starts with a chapter on the physical and geographical of India and goes on to describe, among other topics : the population, the non-Aryans, the Aryans, Buddhism, the Greeks in India, Sythic inroads, rise of Hinduism, early Muhammadan dynasties, the Mughals, the Marathas, early European settlements and British rule. It then gives information on the commercial aspects, the trade, the mineral resources, means of communication, etc. there are 10 appendices that are primarily population charts and information. This book is a reprint of the 1886 edition.