The Emperor Who Vanished

Book excerpt: If you ever thought history is boring, this funny and astonishing book is the perfect solution! DID YOU KNOW THAT... One of India's greatest emperors was erased from all history books for nearly 1,500 years? Beetles and beetle wings were a much sought-after fashion accessory once upon a time? The iron pillar in Delhi's Qutub complex does not rust? A French astronomer discovered the remains of a Roman port in South India? A caravan of elephants and camels from India once paraded the frozen streets of St Petersburg, Russia? Dive into these and many more odd and wonderful facts from the pages of Indian history. You will find here the megacity of ancient India whose existence we know of today from the accounts of Chinese and Greek travellers; the architects who created whispering galleries; the cluster of houses in Rajasthan covered with vibrant frescoes; and the strange story of how tea came to India. Lovelorn princes who lost their kingdoms; intrepid botanists who studied and recorded every plant in the Malabar region; the poem written in praise of garlic--these are some of the nuggets that capture the peculiar, the fascinating and the eccentric bits of history the way no textbook ever will!