This collection of 15 articles, several of them already classics in their field and all written by scholars currently at School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (SOAS), provides an informative, up-to-date and accessible introduction to the study of South Asia. In focusing upon religious, social and political ideologies and institutions, it demonstrates the importance of a multi-disciplinary approach to this vast and complex region: history, geography, politics, economics, law, philosophy, religion, art, literature and language are all well represented. The contributors examine the past as well as the present, but there is particular emphasis upon the nature and impact of the "colonial encounter", the reworking of "traditional" institutions in recent times, and the role of ideologies in forging identities or creating divisive trends. In conveniently bringing together leading articles on South Asia, at an affordable price, the Reader is aimed at students beginning to move beyond basic texts and narratives, or who seek to view South Asia in a comparative light. It shows how scholars of the region are opening upon fresh perspectives, and asking new questions of its past, present and future.