India is the world's largest democratic country, with a population of 1.2 billion, and predicted to overtake China in the next 4 decades. It is also the globe's 4th largest economy.

India in the twenty-first century stands on the verge of being one of the world's newest superpowers. In the sixty years since its independence, it has transformed into a modern nation with limitless resources-yet it is also a nation of extremes. It is a people with 15 official languages, over 166 million mobile phone users, and an economy that spans from traditional village farming to the cutting edge of new technology. The country is also currently developing its own nuclear deterrent.

From the snowy mountains of the Himalayas to the tropical waters of Kerala, India is the 6th most popular tourist destination in the world. This guide is the perfect introduction for the reader who wants to know more than the guide books and gain a deeper understanding of India's history and culture.

The Britannica Guide to India is introduced by Maria Misra. She is a Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Keble College specialising in the politics, culture, and economics. She has written two books on Indian history: Business, Race and Politics in British India and Vishnu's Crowded Temple: India since the Great Rebellion (Allen Lane). She is currently writing the Penguin History of India. She writes frequently for newspapers and magazines and has appeared on both on BBC 1's Question Time and Late Night Review.