Includes bibliographical references and index

Introduction
1. Kapila
2. Kanada
3. Patanjali
4. Mahavira
5. The Buddha
6. Women Savants in Ancient Times
I. Sulabha Maitreyi
II. Gargi Vachaknavi
III. Aryikas: Jain Nuns
IV. Shakyadhitas: Buddhist Nuns
7. Sarahapada
8. Nagarjuna
9. Bhartrihari
10. Gaudapada
11. Adi Shankara
12. Abhinavagupta
13. Basavanna
14. Allama Prabhu
15. Akka Mahadevi
16. Thiruvalluvar
17. Nandanar
18. Andal
19. Ramanuja
20. Madhvacharya
21. Lalleshwari
22. Kabir
23. Varkaris
I. Jnaneshwar
II. Namdev
III. Chokhamela
IV. Tukaram
V. Bahinabai
24. Sankardev
25. Krishna Chaitanya
26. Ravidas
27. Guru Nanak
28. Meera Bai
29. Kanaka Dasa
30. Tulsidas
31. Vemana
32. Shishunala Sharifa
33. Sri Ramakrishna
34. Vivekananda
35. Narayana Guru
36. Anandamayi Ma
37. Sufism and the Illustrious Indian Sufis
I. Baba Farid
II. Nizamuddin Auliya
III. Amir Khusrau
IV. Bulleh Shah
38. Ezhuthachan
39. Narsi Mehta
40. Mahima Dharma
I. Mahima Gosain
II. Bhima Bhoi
41. Sai Baba of Shirdi
42. Sri Aurobindo
43. Ramana Maharshi
44. Nisargadatta Maharaj
45. Jains
I. Bahubali
II. Virchand R. Gandhi
III. Acharya Chandana
46. Subramania Bharati
47. Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule
48. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
49. Rammohan Roy
50. Rabindranath Tagore
51. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
52. Ram Manohar Lohia
53. Sarojini Naidu
54. Birsa Munda
55. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar
56. E.V. Ramasamy
57. Asghar Ali Engineer
58. Gopi Krishna
59. The Mother of Pondicherry
60. Jiddu Krishnamurti
61. U.G. Krishnamurti
62. The Vaswanis
I. Sadhu Vaswani
II. Dada Vaswani
63. Jesus in India
I. Jesus as Sage
II. Pandita Ramabai
III. Mother Teresa
IV. The Christian Ashrams
V. Bede Griffiths
VI. Raimundo Panikkar
Acknowledgements
Bibliography

A plethora of religions, cultures, languages and peoples have over the ages nurtured a plurality of ideas, beliefs, influences and practices thriving in India. In India's Greatest Minds, Mukunda Rao takes readers on an exhilarating, exhaustive journey through the lives and teachings of India's most illustrious spiritual masters, thinker-activists and philosophers, making their wisdom accessible to all.
Beginning from 700 BCE to the present day, moving across the length and breadth of the subcontinent, and covering every significant school of thought, Rao provides a comprehensive view of the trajectory of Indian thought as it developed over centuries, enriching minds and shaping modern discourse. Whether tackling profound questions on the meaning of life or plunging into the restless urgency of social reform, this book showcases an intellectual and cultural heritage that is uniquely Indian.
From Kapila, Patanjali, Buddha and Mahavira to Andal, Kabir, Guru Nanak, Bulleh Shah and Chaitanya, and from Shishunala Sharifa, Ramakrishna and Vemana to Birsa Munda, Tagore, Gandhi and Ambedkar – the profiles of luminaries in this invaluable compendium will inspire and elevate its readers. Rich in both essence and detail, this treasury celebrates the individuals who rebelled against existing conventions and transcended every divide in their quest for enlightenment, transforming themselves and the world along the way. ---provided by publisher