Instead of thinking of ancient India in terms of the coexistence of five stark contradictions, such as social inequality and promises of universal salvation, the exaltation of desire and detachment, goddess worship and misogyny, violence and non-violence, and religious debate and conflict, Upinder Singh urges us to abandon simplistic stereotypes. She accomplishes this by drawing on a wide range of sources, including religious and philosophical writings, epics, poetry, plays, technical treatises, satire, biographies, and inscriptions, in addition to the tangible and aesthetically pleasing evidence of archaeology and art from locations all over the subcontinent. An knowledge of the historian's trade is provided by Singh's scientific but extremely approachable manner, straightforward explanations, and fair interpretations, which untangle the numerous strands of what we typically consider to be ancient Indian culture. There is no body here.