The set is widely recommended for academic collections due to its depth and the unique way it integrates women’s issues into the general study of Indian history. : Sita Anantha Raman . Publisher : Praeger/ABC-CLIO (2009). Volume 1 : Focuses on the premodern era (approx. 215 pages).

: Highlights the intellectual contributions of figures like Gargi and Maitreyi, and explores the diverse roles of queens, courtesans, and nuns.

: Highlighting women’s own stories and their expressions of agency within their specific social contexts.

: Includes a look at modern Indian women, including their roles in various social movements and the resurgence of militant Hindu nationalism. Book Details

: Investigates how the ideal of "Indian womanhood" became a central pillar for the nation's push for independence in 1947.

The work is organized into two primary chronological sections: the (antiquity to early medieval Hindu kingdoms) and the later era (Mughal dynasties through colonial rule to independence). Raman identifies four key interrelated themes throughout this history:

: Covers the Mughal era to the independent state (approx. 253 pages). Women in India - Sita Anantha Raman

: Analyzing how gender and sexuality were depicted in male-authored premodern texts.