Viraprasu Bharatabhumi: A Saga of the Valiant Sons and Daughters of Mother India

Contents: Preface. Introduction. 1. King Sudas, a Dasarajna Fame/Prashant Srivastava. 2. Parikshit, the First King of the Kali Age/Prashant Srivastava. 3. Mahavira and Jainism/Prashant Srivastava. 4. The Buddha and Buddhism/Prashant Srivastava. 5. Bimbisara and the Rise of Magadha/Sushil Chand. 6. Mahapadmananda, the First Sudra Monarch of India/Sushil Chand. 7. Poros, the ’Vanquished’ Hero of the Battle of Jhelum/Sushil Chand. 8. Chandragupta Maurya, the first great empire builder/Prashant Srivastava. 9. Asoka, the greatest Royal Son of Ancient India/Prashant Srivastava. 10. Pushyamitra Sunga, the Zealous Champion of Brahmanism/Prashant Srivastava.11. Menander, the Philosopher Prince/ Prashant Srivastava. 12. Agathokleia, the Queen-Regent/Prashant Srivastava. 13. Maues, the Saka-Pahlava/Prashant Srivastava. 14. Kharavela, the king of Kalinga/Prashant Srivastava. 15. Gondopharnes, the last great Pahlava/Prashant Srivastava. 16. Naganika, the performer of the Asvamedha/Prashant Srivastava. 17. Vima Takshuma, Basileos Basileon Soter Megas/Prashant Srivastava. 18. Kanishka I, the greatest Kushana/Prashant Srivastava. 19. Gautamiputra Satakarni and the resurrection of Satavahana Power/Prashant Srivastava. 20. Rudradaman I, the Karddamaka Mahakshatrapa/Prashant Srivastava. 21. Samudragupta Parakramanka/Prashant Srivastava. 22. Chandragupta II Vikramaditya, the Sakari/Sushil Chand. 23. Dhruvadevi, the Queen-Consort/Prashant Srivastava. 24. Skandagupta Kramaditya, the Vanquisher of the Hunas/Sushil Chand. 25. Yasodharman, the Aulikara/Sushil Chand. 26. Mihirakula, the Devotee of Siva/Sushil Chand. 27. Sasanka, the King of Gauda/Sushil Chand. 28. Harsha, the ‘Last Great Hindu Monarch’/Sushil Chand. Index.

The book sings the saga of twenty-eight valiant sons and daughters of Mother India Sudas, Parikshit, Mahavira, the Buddha, Bimbisara, Mahapadmananda, Poros, Chandragupta Maurya, Asoka, Pushyamitra Sunga, Menander, Agathokleia, Maues, Kharavela, Gondopharnes, Naganika, V'ima Takshuma, Kanishka I, Gautamiputra Satakarņi, Rudradaman I, Samudragupta, Chandragupta II, Dhruvadevi, Skandagupta, Yasodharman, Mihirakula, Sasanka, and Harsha. Their contributions, too, have been largely instrumental in making India, what she is today. It also affords the reader, a glimpse of India's glorious past, spanning across countless centuries.

As the book is aimed, primarily, at the general reader, the authors have decided to dispense with the jargon of historian, as also with references, in the form of footnotes or endnotes: They felt that a select list of relevant works, in the form of Suggested Reading, at the end of each chapter, would serve the purpose, quite well.