Aspects of Early History of India: A Tribute to Indologists covers lesser-known but significant aspects of Indian prehistory and the early historical period, specifically the art and archaeology of the middle Ganga plain. Incorporating new findings, the book discusses the early stages of architecture in the subcontinent, now dated to the Early Stone Age (at Paisra, Bihar); the antiquity and nature of the Varanasi, the longest surviving city in India; and the beginnings of sculptural art and their artisans.

The volume pays tribute to nine stalwarts (Navaratana) of Indic studies, through ten themed chapters. Each chapter is preceded by a shabdanjali that describes the author’s personal experiences with these scholars. Organized in chronological order, the first three chapters, themed around the Stone Age, discuss the origin, growth and continuity of Palaeolithic and Mesolithic technologies. The diverse aspects of the history of Varanasi are covered in the following three chapters; while the remaining chapters focus on hitherto less-studied facets of the architecture and sculpturing crafts of north India. The themes covered here, and their presentation in this book, make this a unique addition to the world of ancient Indian history.