The Unkown Indians is not about individual people or events, but about specific groups of people in Indian history. The chapters are: A Charioteer’s Song: Minstrels and Storytellers; The Eternal Weave of Life: Weavers, Potters, Ironsmiths and Carvers; A Delicious Platter of Joy: Farmers and Cooks; and Saying it with Verse and Song: Rebel Poets. Here the narrative explores the contributions of groups, their traditions, cultures and beliefs. For instance, the first chapter introduces us not just to the class of storytellers, but also to relevant associated topics such as literature like the Mahabharata and the myth of Ganesha as its author. The book engages the interests of a child, beyond just history, to sociology and economics as well. It could have been enhanced by the inclusion of other classes in society, such as priests, merchants or labouring classes but it is quite thorough on the societal groups it does cover.
November 2016, volume 40, No 11