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The Incredible History of the Indian Ocean
An adaptation of The Ocean of Churn for young readers
When did the first humans arrive in India and how did they get here?
What are Roman artefacts from hundreds of years ago doing in a town near Puducherry?
How did merchants from Arabia end up near Kochi?
From the east coast of Africa to Australia, one big blue body of water has connected diverse peoples and cultures for thousands of years: the incredible Indian Ocean. Read on to learn about the fearless travellers and sailors, pirates and conquerors who set out to cross the ocean in search of gold and glory, and discover how geography can shape the course of history.
When did the first humans arrive in India and how did they get here?
What are Roman artefacts from hundreds of years ago doing in a town near Puducherry?
How did merchants from Arabia end up near Kochi?
From the east coast of Africa to Australia, one big blue body of water has connected diverse peoples and cultures for thousands of years: the incredible Indian Ocean. Read on to learn about the fearless travellers and sailors, pirates and conquerors who set out to cross the ocean in search of gold and glory, and discover how geography can shape the course of history.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 14, 2020
43 people are currently reading
358 people want to read
About the author
Sanjeev Sanyal
13 books588 followersSanjeev Sanyal is an economist, urban theorist and writer. He grew up in Sikkim, Kolkata and Delhi before heading off to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. He spent the tumultuous summer of 1993 in South Africa as it transitioned from apartheid, and then extensively travelled through Guatemala as it emerged from civil war. These experiences made him a keen observer of rapidly changing societies, an interest that reflects in many of his varied writings.
Sanjeev spent most of his adult life battling international financial markets, a few years in Mumbai and many in Singapore. One day in 2008, mostly on a whim, he decided to move back to India and travel all over the country with his family. This resulted in his hugely popular second book, Land of the Seven Rivers. Then in 2011, again for no particular reason, he went back to finance and took up a role as the global strategist of one of the world’s largest banks. He also spent the next few years exploring the Indian Ocean rim—Oman, Sri Lanka, Zanzibar, Vietnam, Indonesia, and up and down India’s coastline. These travels resulted in The Ocean of Churn: How the Indian Ocean Shaped Human History.
Currently Sanjeev lives in New Delhi where he serves as the principal economic adviser to the Indian government.
Sanjeev spent most of his adult life battling international financial markets, a few years in Mumbai and many in Singapore. One day in 2008, mostly on a whim, he decided to move back to India and travel all over the country with his family. This resulted in his hugely popular second book, Land of the Seven Rivers. Then in 2011, again for no particular reason, he went back to finance and took up a role as the global strategist of one of the world’s largest banks. He also spent the next few years exploring the Indian Ocean rim—Oman, Sri Lanka, Zanzibar, Vietnam, Indonesia, and up and down India’s coastline. These travels resulted in The Ocean of Churn: How the Indian Ocean Shaped Human History.
Currently Sanjeev lives in New Delhi where he serves as the principal economic adviser to the Indian government.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 27, 2021
"The book is concerned with the past, but the wheel of history roll relentlessly forward. "
I do not know if someone has noticed that Mr Sanyal has some affection for the waterbody. His books are named; "Land of seven rivers" and "The Ocean of Churn". This book, "The Incredible History of the Indian Ocean" is an adaptation of latter.
The book is embedded with illustrations, interesting anecdotes which will help readers to dive deep into the book. The narration and description, were as if they were happening before my eyes. If the Indian Ocean is personified, it will have many tales to tell. This book does the same, it tells how the countries in and around the Indian Ocean developed in terms of ethnicity, religion and trade over time. All was possible because of the connectivity in the Indian Ocean. All these events influenced the countries with each other and all these churns influenced India, be it diversity or geopolitics.
As the book was unravelling the past of the Indian Ocean, I could not help but ponder the current situation in the Indian Ocean. The way China is threatening countries often using its history as a 'convincing weapon'. It becomes important for us to know the complete and true history to nullify any false claims.
I do not know if someone has noticed that Mr Sanyal has some affection for the waterbody. His books are named; "Land of seven rivers" and "The Ocean of Churn". This book, "The Incredible History of the Indian Ocean" is an adaptation of latter.
The book is embedded with illustrations, interesting anecdotes which will help readers to dive deep into the book. The narration and description, were as if they were happening before my eyes. If the Indian Ocean is personified, it will have many tales to tell. This book does the same, it tells how the countries in and around the Indian Ocean developed in terms of ethnicity, religion and trade over time. All was possible because of the connectivity in the Indian Ocean. All these events influenced the countries with each other and all these churns influenced India, be it diversity or geopolitics.
As the book was unravelling the past of the Indian Ocean, I could not help but ponder the current situation in the Indian Ocean. The way China is threatening countries often using its history as a 'convincing weapon'. It becomes important for us to know the complete and true history to nullify any false claims.
May 9, 2021
Why Mark Twain said that India is a cradle of the human race can be understood by reading this book The Incredible History of the Indian Ocean, an abridged version of the Ocean of Churn by Sanjeev Sanyal. Mark Twain in his famous quote says, "...(India is) the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and great grandmother of tradition." The book starts with the origin of homo sapiens and how they came to settle in different parts of the world. Fast forward, they settled in the Indian subcontinent and this continent influenced the culture and history around the world, which we sadly do not read in our standard history books of Romilla Aunty's Bedtime Stories for Commies and Bipan Uncle's Red Book of Nehruvian Sycophancy.
The Ashoka (the Great?), the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, is often shown as pious, peace-loving and epitome of justice in our history books. This book goes against this case while vouching for the veracity of archaeological evidence in the form of Ashoka's own edicts. It is often told under the guise of Grandma's Stories for Little Kids how great Ashoka was. The question is why Ashoka is chosen for the propaganda by post-colonial historians of India?
Ashoka was the first ruler who gave directions on how a citizen should lead his daily life. His edicts show that he interfered with the freedom of the citizen in the matter of prayer, habits, culture and whatnot. By disguising his injustice on Kalinga, Nehruvian historians found it quite convenient to justify why a state should interfere in the citizen's life. This is reflected in the interference in Indian customs that the Indian state has perpetrated since Nehru's promise of India awakening at the stroke of the midnight hour for life and freedom. Hindu's customs were coded. You shall get no points for guessing now where such coded bills found their breath of legitimacy: From the distorted historical notion that Ashoka was a just king and did just thing to interfere in the unjust lives of its poor citizen.
My familial roots grow as deep as the memory of my father assists. Hence, we can only trace our roots in Eastern India, the land from where Chandragupta Maurya ruled, and the land from where Ashoka's merciless killing became the guiding light to Aurangzeb's mass temple destruction in the Northern frontiers of India. But, the history of shame, has not been confined to Eastern India but to Northern and Southern India as well.
We are provided with false pride in the fact that Indians never invaded another country. But, if this is true, then India should consist of Afghanistan and Indonesia. Either India is the largest country in the world or India has raided other countries in the past: historians cannot have both ways. All these propaganda are ingrained to inculcate the behaviour of submissiveness and colonialism among the Indian mindset. Such mindset along with historians who bluffed with such stuff should be thrown in the Indian Ocean. Maybe, in future, they shall float to an inhabited island and breed like rabbits to create the empire of their imagination in reality. For time being, India should regain its lost glory and work to find its root so that our future stands on strong ground.
Why am I imposing such a hard and fast rule to acknowledge our lost roots and culture? Because African countries were denied their history and rich culture and were enslaved in this pretext by the European and western powers (called the G7 in contemporary global geopolitics). They divided the African continent with straight lines ignoring the cultural subtleties of the region.
While we acknowledge true history, it is equally important that we preserve our old knowledge system. Once such intangible cultural knowledge is lost in thin air, it cannot be ever mounted on the ground as a tangible asset. The Nicobarese tribes survived the Tsunami because they preserved the knowledge of their forefathers who had been inhabiting the Nicobar Island for 30,000 years. On the other hand, the Jarawas and Onge tribes suffered for their forefathers were inhabiting the island only for 600 years. India is such a rich and historical past, we cannot afford to be the Onge and Jarawas if a 2004 Tsunami like adversity grips the nation. So, learn from our rich pre-Vedic and Vedic past so that we live like Nicobarese in future: with pride, with obeisance towards our elders.
The current second wave of pandemic against coronavirus is another adversity. India is not a failed state now but India has a lot to learn, not particularly from our forefathers but from a friend sitting in the ASEAN: Singapore. Sanjeev Sanyal retells how Lee Kuan Yew, the man who raised the phoenix out of Singaporian Slums of 1965.
Google the image of Lee Kuan Yew getting emotional during a press conference in 1965. He could not imagine a future without Malaysia but there he was in 2015 when he died, he left Singapore of his dreams. Today, India too is gripped in winter of despair with no spring of hope by the indifferent political class in India. While it is very important for Narendra Modi to appear strong and chest thump about victory on Coronavirus before Finnish PM, but it is equally important to show empathy towards its suffering citizen like Lee Kuan Yew did. I do not blame a political class but the unaccountable bureaucracy in the country. While the system has failed us, it is the city and villages that are suffering. This government in constant self-denial that everything is in place. If such attitude continues, how do we see little Singapore in our country? From Lee Kuan Yew, Modi has a lot to learn: to admit that we burnt down the cities and villages but we shall rise from the ashes once again.
On a lighter note, and re-orienting my focus, once again, towards the subject of the book, I found two accounts quite intriguing. First, the account of Garcia Da Orta, the first person to inhabit the Elephanta Caves. When I kept my foot at Elephanta caves, I was not conscious that I was stepping on such an island of great importance that had a connection with Inquisitions: his grave was dug out and his ashes were thrown in Mandovi river. If you are living nearby Bombay, read about Garcia Da Orta so that you don't repent after you are home.
The second account is about Mohammad Odakkal whose son Odakkal Johnson writes in the Daily Guardian and is currently serving in the Indian Navy in the rank of Commodore. Mohammad Odakkal was discharged on account of his role in the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) Mutiny of 1946. After that, he could not be a part of the armed forces but played a role in the liberation of Goa. He cycled across India and worked as a guide in Agra where he married a Christian nurse. So, this story is also worth reading to show who we were, who we are and who we shall be in future.
Such accounts give us that we belong to our great forefathers. If you cannot trace your lineage, know that that they played a vital role in what Bharata was and what India is: a true reflection of Bharata. Now, it is upon us to carry their legacy and preserve their knowledge to save the culture we inherited from them and pass it on to the generations to come. We Indians are Hindus and gave the liberal and spiritual taste of Hinduism and Buddhism to Asia. We Indians are more Islamic than almost every country in the Organisation of Islamic Organisation. We Indians are more Christians than the Portuguese and Spanish.
And I look forward to reading such books that actually teach us who we were, who we are and what responsibility we have to carry their legacy to live in a world where peace is fragile and life uncertain yet full of adventures.
The Ashoka (the Great?), the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, is often shown as pious, peace-loving and epitome of justice in our history books. This book goes against this case while vouching for the veracity of archaeological evidence in the form of Ashoka's own edicts. It is often told under the guise of Grandma's Stories for Little Kids how great Ashoka was. The question is why Ashoka is chosen for the propaganda by post-colonial historians of India?
Ashoka was the first ruler who gave directions on how a citizen should lead his daily life. His edicts show that he interfered with the freedom of the citizen in the matter of prayer, habits, culture and whatnot. By disguising his injustice on Kalinga, Nehruvian historians found it quite convenient to justify why a state should interfere in the citizen's life. This is reflected in the interference in Indian customs that the Indian state has perpetrated since Nehru's promise of India awakening at the stroke of the midnight hour for life and freedom. Hindu's customs were coded. You shall get no points for guessing now where such coded bills found their breath of legitimacy: From the distorted historical notion that Ashoka was a just king and did just thing to interfere in the unjust lives of its poor citizen.
My familial roots grow as deep as the memory of my father assists. Hence, we can only trace our roots in Eastern India, the land from where Chandragupta Maurya ruled, and the land from where Ashoka's merciless killing became the guiding light to Aurangzeb's mass temple destruction in the Northern frontiers of India. But, the history of shame, has not been confined to Eastern India but to Northern and Southern India as well.
We are provided with false pride in the fact that Indians never invaded another country. But, if this is true, then India should consist of Afghanistan and Indonesia. Either India is the largest country in the world or India has raided other countries in the past: historians cannot have both ways. All these propaganda are ingrained to inculcate the behaviour of submissiveness and colonialism among the Indian mindset. Such mindset along with historians who bluffed with such stuff should be thrown in the Indian Ocean. Maybe, in future, they shall float to an inhabited island and breed like rabbits to create the empire of their imagination in reality. For time being, India should regain its lost glory and work to find its root so that our future stands on strong ground.
Why am I imposing such a hard and fast rule to acknowledge our lost roots and culture? Because African countries were denied their history and rich culture and were enslaved in this pretext by the European and western powers (called the G7 in contemporary global geopolitics). They divided the African continent with straight lines ignoring the cultural subtleties of the region.
While we acknowledge true history, it is equally important that we preserve our old knowledge system. Once such intangible cultural knowledge is lost in thin air, it cannot be ever mounted on the ground as a tangible asset. The Nicobarese tribes survived the Tsunami because they preserved the knowledge of their forefathers who had been inhabiting the Nicobar Island for 30,000 years. On the other hand, the Jarawas and Onge tribes suffered for their forefathers were inhabiting the island only for 600 years. India is such a rich and historical past, we cannot afford to be the Onge and Jarawas if a 2004 Tsunami like adversity grips the nation. So, learn from our rich pre-Vedic and Vedic past so that we live like Nicobarese in future: with pride, with obeisance towards our elders.
The current second wave of pandemic against coronavirus is another adversity. India is not a failed state now but India has a lot to learn, not particularly from our forefathers but from a friend sitting in the ASEAN: Singapore. Sanjeev Sanyal retells how Lee Kuan Yew, the man who raised the phoenix out of Singaporian Slums of 1965.
Google the image of Lee Kuan Yew getting emotional during a press conference in 1965. He could not imagine a future without Malaysia but there he was in 2015 when he died, he left Singapore of his dreams. Today, India too is gripped in winter of despair with no spring of hope by the indifferent political class in India. While it is very important for Narendra Modi to appear strong and chest thump about victory on Coronavirus before Finnish PM, but it is equally important to show empathy towards its suffering citizen like Lee Kuan Yew did. I do not blame a political class but the unaccountable bureaucracy in the country. While the system has failed us, it is the city and villages that are suffering. This government in constant self-denial that everything is in place. If such attitude continues, how do we see little Singapore in our country? From Lee Kuan Yew, Modi has a lot to learn: to admit that we burnt down the cities and villages but we shall rise from the ashes once again.
On a lighter note, and re-orienting my focus, once again, towards the subject of the book, I found two accounts quite intriguing. First, the account of Garcia Da Orta, the first person to inhabit the Elephanta Caves. When I kept my foot at Elephanta caves, I was not conscious that I was stepping on such an island of great importance that had a connection with Inquisitions: his grave was dug out and his ashes were thrown in Mandovi river. If you are living nearby Bombay, read about Garcia Da Orta so that you don't repent after you are home.
The second account is about Mohammad Odakkal whose son Odakkal Johnson writes in the Daily Guardian and is currently serving in the Indian Navy in the rank of Commodore. Mohammad Odakkal was discharged on account of his role in the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) Mutiny of 1946. After that, he could not be a part of the armed forces but played a role in the liberation of Goa. He cycled across India and worked as a guide in Agra where he married a Christian nurse. So, this story is also worth reading to show who we were, who we are and who we shall be in future.
Such accounts give us that we belong to our great forefathers. If you cannot trace your lineage, know that that they played a vital role in what Bharata was and what India is: a true reflection of Bharata. Now, it is upon us to carry their legacy and preserve their knowledge to save the culture we inherited from them and pass it on to the generations to come. We Indians are Hindus and gave the liberal and spiritual taste of Hinduism and Buddhism to Asia. We Indians are more Islamic than almost every country in the Organisation of Islamic Organisation. We Indians are more Christians than the Portuguese and Spanish.
And I look forward to reading such books that actually teach us who we were, who we are and what responsibility we have to carry their legacy to live in a world where peace is fragile and life uncertain yet full of adventures.
October 6, 2020
Sanjeev Sanyal’s The Incredible History of India’s Geography was quite a blockbuster amongst the young readers owing to its easy narrative and organized layout of information. It had illustrations and that added to the overall impact. His second book ‘The Incredible History of the Indian Ocean’ doesn’t disappoint either. It is an adaptation of The Ocean of Churn and it houses so much information about the History, purpose, evolution and present-day scenario of one of the biggest water bodies.
Read the complete review here: https://aliveshadow.com/category-book...
Read the complete review here: https://aliveshadow.com/category-book...
May 31, 2021
"Denying People's history and culture is an obvious way for a colonizing power to present everything preceding their arrival as the age of darkness and ignorance."
Author has left no stone unturned regarding the oceans history . As said by the author this the adaptation of "Ocean of Churn: How the Indian Ocean Shaped Human History". since I haven't read will not write about it. We have been told and sold the same fairy tales by rascal historians who have sold their Conscience.
Right from Prehistoric Era to modern day Globalized civilization. Author recounts the history of Indian ocean with facts. Even though this book may not be the brief history but this book will lead you to expedite more on the History of Indian Ocean. How a ocean has been a witness for all ups and downs on its rim for over a many thousand years..
" If there is one Lesson from his history, it is this: Time Devours the greatest of men and the mightiest of empires".
A Must Read for history enthusiasts!
Author has left no stone unturned regarding the oceans history . As said by the author this the adaptation of "Ocean of Churn: How the Indian Ocean Shaped Human History". since I haven't read will not write about it. We have been told and sold the same fairy tales by rascal historians who have sold their Conscience.
Right from Prehistoric Era to modern day Globalized civilization. Author recounts the history of Indian ocean with facts. Even though this book may not be the brief history but this book will lead you to expedite more on the History of Indian Ocean. How a ocean has been a witness for all ups and downs on its rim for over a many thousand years..
" If there is one Lesson from his history, it is this: Time Devours the greatest of men and the mightiest of empires".
A Must Read for history enthusiasts!
December 2, 2020
Time devours the greatest of men and the mightiest of emperors.
This was such a joy to read. It didn’t feel like an information dump at all. The illustrations compliment the book really well, the whole thing was hella comprehensive and fascinating af. Highly recommend.
This was such a joy to read. It didn’t feel like an information dump at all. The illustrations compliment the book really well, the whole thing was hella comprehensive and fascinating af. Highly recommend.
January 7, 2021
Gem of a book. This should be given to all 12+yrs old kids in our families.
I will write a detailed note soon.
I will write a detailed note soon.
October 23, 2021
Read carefully and slowly ...enlightened more about Indian history . At page 220 the conclusion on Tipu sultan shows a soft approach by the author . Bali’s massacre was unheard . Somewhere I missed the total satisfaction after reading the book.
August 19, 2023
The knowledge of indian ocean history in a concise volume... Rereading... 😍
December 25, 2021
This was an excellent primer for a novice history enthusiast to move past the history of India and venture into faraway lands. This book takes us through the journey over several millennia on how trade and culture developed across an entire ocean. Dr. Sanyal has excellent coverage that spans the east coast of Africa, all of the middle east, and entire Southeast Asia.
Just like my concern with his other book on India's geography, I found that the author deviated from the ocean for significant parts of his book. He used the ocean to connect all of these different civilizations but then went on to discuss their individual histories a lot more than required for this book. The book would have been a more crisp version of itself had the author focused exclusively on the impact of the Indian Ocean on all those kingdoms.
Just like my concern with his other book on India's geography, I found that the author deviated from the ocean for significant parts of his book. He used the ocean to connect all of these different civilizations but then went on to discuss their individual histories a lot more than required for this book. The book would have been a more crisp version of itself had the author focused exclusively on the impact of the Indian Ocean on all those kingdoms.
April 9, 2023
3.5 stars
Writing about the history of the Indian Ocean is a huge task. Adapting the original into a ~300 page book intended for young adults is also a huge task. So I'm pretty impressed by what is accomplished here and I learned a lot, but some parts fell short. I think the author tried to cram too much into this book and deviated from the central theme of the Indian Ocean too often. We'd get swept up into inland conflicts and stories for too long. Or entire sections were written because these places are along the Indian Ocean, but the ocean's role itself is hardly or never discussed.
I also felt that the second half of the book started to unravel once European trade and colonization was introduced. The timeline became hard to follow and I wish there was more focus on independence movements and the post-colonial Indian Ocean world, but that last part is just my preference.
Lastly, my few gripes. For a book intended for young learners, I found it disappointing there wasn't a bibliography or index. I think it's important for young learners to check the citations and investigate these sources further. Also, near the end, there were some not so subtle anti-communist and anti-unionist moments, especially in sections that quickly glossed over certain events (North Vietnam, Khmer Rouge, the Naxalites etc.) so there wasn't true, nuanced interrogation, just recycled neoliberal remarks. I'm not surprised since the author is or was an economic advisor to the Indian government.
Overall, I'm glad I read this and have now developed a long list of things I want to read more about!
Writing about the history of the Indian Ocean is a huge task. Adapting the original into a ~300 page book intended for young adults is also a huge task. So I'm pretty impressed by what is accomplished here and I learned a lot, but some parts fell short. I think the author tried to cram too much into this book and deviated from the central theme of the Indian Ocean too often. We'd get swept up into inland conflicts and stories for too long. Or entire sections were written because these places are along the Indian Ocean, but the ocean's role itself is hardly or never discussed.
I also felt that the second half of the book started to unravel once European trade and colonization was introduced. The timeline became hard to follow and I wish there was more focus on independence movements and the post-colonial Indian Ocean world, but that last part is just my preference.
Lastly, my few gripes. For a book intended for young learners, I found it disappointing there wasn't a bibliography or index. I think it's important for young learners to check the citations and investigate these sources further. Also, near the end, there were some not so subtle anti-communist and anti-unionist moments, especially in sections that quickly glossed over certain events (North Vietnam, Khmer Rouge, the Naxalites etc.) so there wasn't true, nuanced interrogation, just recycled neoliberal remarks. I'm not surprised since the author is or was an economic advisor to the Indian government.
Overall, I'm glad I read this and have now developed a long list of things I want to read more about!
April 17, 2021
I loves this book. It mentions the evolution of Indian Ocean and its influence on the trade, lifestyle and culture of different countries part of it's coast. The author explains with different stories connecting them at various points. All these stories are interlinked around the grand Indian Ocean.
It includes the great Cholas influence on South East Asia, western colonalisation (Dutch, English, French, Portuguese etc.) on almost all the countries situated around the Indian Ocean, the world wars and how these wars led to independence of almost all the countries by 1950s and 1960s.
The author also mentions individual contributions that had influenced the next course of events in the history like MK Gandhi in South Africa, Karl von Muller, Subhas Chandra Bose etc. to name a few. The rise of Madras, Calcutta, Bombay, Singapore, Durban, Cape Town etc. have been clearly depicted in this book.
It includes the great Cholas influence on South East Asia, western colonalisation (Dutch, English, French, Portuguese etc.) on almost all the countries situated around the Indian Ocean, the world wars and how these wars led to independence of almost all the countries by 1950s and 1960s.
The author also mentions individual contributions that had influenced the next course of events in the history like MK Gandhi in South Africa, Karl von Muller, Subhas Chandra Bose etc. to name a few. The rise of Madras, Calcutta, Bombay, Singapore, Durban, Cape Town etc. have been clearly depicted in this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2023
From Pangea to modern-day cosmopolitan cities and everything that happened in between, I did not expect the amount that is contained in 300 pages of this book. The book doesn't attempt to simplify or claim to be a know-it-all but manages to make us wonder how complex systems have become over a long period and how we are seeing just a particle of ice and not even the complete tip of the iceberg. It preaches "a linear narrative based on a unidimensional framework is necessarily misleading". The comprehensive record connects and tells less popular backstories and even folklore that have populated the Indian Ocean and nourished humans' intellect globally for trade and territorial expansion. "...the path is history flows neither from nor to Utopia. Indeed, the attempts to "civilize" others and impose utopias have been the source of human misery..."
September 23, 2025
A book that gave me many different and some times funny stories but definitely something i loved truly :) it told me some funny stories , along with serious invasions that happened cause of European dominance of Indian Ocean at times. Of course reading about Indian Soldiers fighting all around the world fighting for someone else was a little disturbing to read but i guess how the book ended with time devours the mightiest man and strong kingdoms kind of explains a lot. I also loved what i got to know about how Marathas played an important role in putting up a strong front in front of British and other settlements who tried to invade India.
July 30, 2021
What a refreshing break from all the trite history that school textbooks teach us! Sanyal knows how to weave interesting tales from tons and tons of scholarship. This is an adaptation of his larger book " The Ocean of Churn" but it augurs well for reading before bed every night. I loved it!
December 18, 2020
Easy to read, unbiased and highly informative.
November 19, 2021
HISTORY 😏
January 18, 2023
A nice compilation
Indian history has lot of depth and this book is a well researched and in depth analysis of role of Indian Ocean in shaping the world.
Indian history has lot of depth and this book is a well researched and in depth analysis of role of Indian Ocean in shaping the world.
September 21, 2023
Great Book by Sanjeev Sanyal that explains the Great History of the Indian Ocean and its role of Importance the shaped the Bharath in times of History.
May 2, 2024
This book is a real gem that I wholeheartedly recommend to absolutely everyone.
September 8, 2024
So much history crafted into a story. Many interesting tales quoted along the way
March 9, 2025
Fascinating history, it just never really gripped me
October 29, 2022
The children's adaption of the book The Ocean of Churn tells the history of the Indian Ocean right from its formation. What enhances this book from the original book is the beautiful illustrations. Most of the major things described in the book have illustrations along with the text. The complex political and racial aspects are toned down for younger readers, but the book itself makes a delightful read.
My review of The Ocean of Churn https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review of The Ocean of Churn https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
December 30, 2022
This is the second book of Sanjeev sanyal i read and i say it again..what a wonderful book! If our history books were written by him during our school days..Both the books are actually designed for young readers and there are more complex versions of similar books for us..still the book impresses me on certain points 1. Written in a very simple fluent language 2. A history which is not only influenced by rulers kingdoms.. but our history which is also influenced by the geography and climatic changes ( which was not taught to us).. The book stresses on how Indian Ocean influenced the rise and fall of various kingdoms, the trade.3. History of our own neighbours specially history behind long standing rivalry between Tamil and Sinhalese, south east Asian kingdoms..ancestors of Angkor vat Chinese kingdoms and influence on India, the rise of Arab empire how Arabs established themselves on refugee ports on eastern Africa, central asian invasion on three civilizations during that time..
4. At the end of this book i can say, we still know only a minute proportion of our ancient Indian history and civilization that is history much prior to Mughal and European invasion..this history was brief in our books.. There are a lot of facts in this book and archeological evidence which proves there was a civilization existing much prior to westernised europeans
How many of us know of Nalanda and vikramshila University?
How many of us know the origins of Angkor vat?
How many of us know of Raja Raja chola?
How many of us know the ancestors of Sri Lankan natives ?
What were the ancient ports and trading stations?
Did u know that the odiya prince was ruling half of Sri lanka?
How did parsis arrive in India?
Indian Origin of gypsies...
Mahabalipuram city whose submerged temples were exposed just before tsunami.when the sea withdrew transiently..
Read the book to know all this
It is a very simple and awesome book to know of our ancient civilization.
A must read book of Sanjeev sanyal on history of India's geography and Indian ocean
4. At the end of this book i can say, we still know only a minute proportion of our ancient Indian history and civilization that is history much prior to Mughal and European invasion..this history was brief in our books.. There are a lot of facts in this book and archeological evidence which proves there was a civilization existing much prior to westernised europeans
How many of us know of Nalanda and vikramshila University?
How many of us know the origins of Angkor vat?
How many of us know of Raja Raja chola?
How many of us know the ancestors of Sri Lankan natives ?
What were the ancient ports and trading stations?
Did u know that the odiya prince was ruling half of Sri lanka?
How did parsis arrive in India?
Indian Origin of gypsies...
Mahabalipuram city whose submerged temples were exposed just before tsunami.when the sea withdrew transiently..
Read the book to know all this
It is a very simple and awesome book to know of our ancient civilization.
A must read book of Sanjeev sanyal on history of India's geography and Indian ocean
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