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Synopsis The classic discourse on Indian culture reissued for the first time with the original notes and annotations. To read these lectures today is to encounter afresh the range of responses that were evoked by the Indian subcontinent: from the baffled incomprehension of the public school-educated ‘pucca’ Englishman to the awed reverence of the dedicated Indophile. The rational approach of Max Muller, grounded on years of observation and study, did more in this context to promote understanding of the nuances of Indian culture and of the Indian character than anything else written during the period. Cogently and brilliantly argued, this collection of lectures, accompanied by an excellent new introduction that contextualizes for the modern reader the life and writing of Max Muller, is a must-read for anyone interested in India.