India Treasures : An Epic Novel of Rajasthan and Northern India through the Ages

India Treasures is a monumental work of fiction covering the sweep of Indian history. A search through palaces and a maze-like fortress for a Maharaja's legendary hidden treasure weaves together stories of danger and romance, and of spiritual and artistic triumphs. The book portrays key historical persons and events in the nation's religious, cultural, and political evolution.

Readers will experience meeting the Buddha; being lost in the Great Indian Desert with a caravan merchant; riding an elephant into battle with the famous Emperor Ashoka; painting a celebrated mural masterpiece with a medieval artist; joining a lovely princess as she defies her powerful father for the enemy king whom she loves; transcending life's trials as a disciple of a great Sufi saint; sharing the perils of a noble Muslim family targeted by a hostile Sultan; and matching wits with the mighty Mughal Emperor Akbar.

The novellas are linked by the treasure hunt through the immense fortress of Mangarh by government tax raiders during Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's suspension of civil liberties in the mid-1970s. Vijay Singh, the capable and conscientious leader of the searchers, battles a corrupt political boss who imprisons the Maharaja of Mangarh and preys on the lovely princess Kaushalya. Vijay fears that in Mangarh his secret may be exposed: he claims to be of the high Rajput caste, but in fact he is an Untouchable from a nearby village.

Included in the book are a Reading Group Discussion Guide and an extensive Glossary.

The sequel, India Fortunes, which depicts major historical characters and events from the 1600's through the 20th century, is scheduled for publication in the fall of 2002.