Cities and states developed in South Asia between c. BC 800 and AD 250, as Hinduism and Buddhism arose and spread. Drawing on archaeological studies and also on texts and inscriptions, this book explores the character of the early Indian cities, paying particular attention to their art and architecture and analysing the political ideas that shaped the state systems.

The authors chart the development of the settlement pattern in the Ganges valley through to the rise of cities and the formation of the Mauryan empire and its successor states. They also trace the spread of cities and states throughout South Asia to the opening centuries of the Christian era, offering an Indian perspective on the contacts with the Greek and Roman worlds that followed the invasion of Alexander the Great.