Empires of the Sea: A Human History of the Indian Ocean World

Throughout most of history, India was perceived as a land-based and land-oriented country, its eyes set firmly inwards, with the sea just there – perhaps to be drawn on maps for school atlases and, for some, to be discussed as part of the Indian defence services. In Empires of the Sea, Radhika Seshan sets to right this wrongful perception by looking at India’s maritime past and its place in the Indian Ocean world. The book covers trade routes, networks and empires built across the seas that connect India to the rest of the world – from the Sangam era up to the long colonial period. Throughout, she presents a complex, refreshing portrait of India as a nation of pluralities made possible, among other things, by its long-standing nautical relations and exchanges with the world at large. Combining academic rigour, scholarship, a storyteller’s flair and a selection of maps and photographs, here is a story of the connections, continuities and changes that occurred in India through maritime explorations and relationships over a period of 2,000 years.