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India at War

India at War

A History of the Battles that Shaped Modern India | Indian Military History, Empires, Battles and Nation Building

Col. D.P.K. Pillay
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India’s story has never been one of uninterrupted peace or of permanent defeat. It is the story of a civilization that has endured invasions, empires, partitions and wars, yet has never surrendered its identity. Across millennia, kingdoms rose and fell, frontiers shifted and conquerors came and went. India was wounded at times, divided at others, but always capable of renewal.

From ancient battlefields to the World Wars, where Indian soldiers fought under a foreign Crown, and to the mountains of Kashmir, where they defended a newly independent India, generations answered the call of duty. Their courage shaped history far beyond the subcontinent, yet many of their stories faded into obscurity. The history of India’s wars is therefore not merely a record of battles fought, but a testament to a people who refused to forget who they were. It restores these forgotten stories to their rightful place in India’s civilizational journey.

More than a chronicle of campaigns and commanders, India at War explores memory, sacrifice, resilience and the enduring spirit of a civilization. It explores how India survived when many empires vanished into history and why its identity endured despite centuries of conflict.

Imprint: Vintage Books

Published: Aug/2026

ISBN: 9789377301040 (Hardback)

Length : 368 Pages

MRP : ₹699.00

India at War

A History of the Battles that Shaped Modern India | Indian Military History, Empires, Battles and Nation Building

Col. D.P.K. Pillay

India’s story has never been one of uninterrupted peace or of permanent defeat. It is the story of a civilization that has endured invasions, empires, partitions and wars, yet has never surrendered its identity. Across millennia, kingdoms rose and fell, frontiers shifted and conquerors came and went. India was wounded at times, divided at others, but always capable of renewal.

From ancient battlefields to the World Wars, where Indian soldiers fought under a foreign Crown, and to the mountains of Kashmir, where they defended a newly independent India, generations answered the call of duty. Their courage shaped history far beyond the subcontinent, yet many of their stories faded into obscurity. The history of India’s wars is therefore not merely a record of battles fought, but a testament to a people who refused to forget who they were. It restores these forgotten stories to their rightful place in India’s civilizational journey.

More than a chronicle of campaigns and commanders, India at War explores memory, sacrifice, resilience and the enduring spirit of a civilization. It explores how India survived when many empires vanished into history and why its identity endured despite centuries of conflict.

Buying Options
Paperback / Hardback

Col. D.P.K. Pillay

Col DPK Pillay, Shaurya Chakra, PhD, is a decorated veteran, military innovator, national security strategist, humanitarian practitioner, international adviser, and distinguished scholar. Commissioned into one of India’s finest regiments, the Brigade of the Guards, he was awarded the Shaurya Chakra for conspicuous gallantry beyond the call of duty. He pioneered the Indian Army’s first handheld digital battlefield systems and later served in the Ministry of Defence and the National Security Council Secretariat, contributing to key strategic initiatives.

He has served with the International Committee of the Red Cross in the Middle East and North Africa region and is an International Research Advisor to the Korean War Memorial Organization. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, the Geneva Centre for Security Policy and Fordham University, New York. Col Pillay is currently a Research Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

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