India through American Eyes: 100 Years Ago presents a rare collection of writings on India of the early twentieth century — a period that witnessed an upsurge in American consciousness of the Indian nation and its culture. Culled from ASIA: the American Magazine On The Orient (1901-46), the articles in this volume encompass a range of subjects from the nautch girls; snake charmers; issues of caste and class in Indian society; faith and folk lore; Christianity and Hinduism to the British Raj; Mahatma Gandhi and his strategies of non-violence and civil disobedience for the freedom struggle; and the personality of Tata, the industrial genius. Taken together, these writings of signifi cant historical value, provide an insight into an India of a bygone era. Not connected in any way with the British imperial network, the authors of these articles bring independent ideas and some fresh insight to bear upon their accounts and are intended to inform and educate the American leaders of the time. The writers contributing to this volume, each one distinguished in his/her own field, include politicians, scholars, novelists, journalists, artists and Asia experts who visited India long before the fi rst wave of American scholars descended on post-Independent India. India through American Eyes: 100 Years Ago, is the outcome of prolonged research by the editor and involves painstaking study of the forgotten volumes of the ASIA magazine preserved in the US Library of Congress.