Indians have been drinking some form of wine for the past four thousand years. In spite of it a kind of pretence pervades the society against drinking of wine. In the Vedic times Somarasa and Sura were much in common use. Indra the Vedic deity of war greatly relished it and not unoften got inebriated. Interestingly the ninth book of the Rgveda is fully devoted to Soma its preparation and use. Similarly later works like Astadhyayi Ramayana Mahabharata Arthasastra Raghuvamsa Harsacarita etc. also refer to the popularity of wine among all sections of the society. Dharmasastras however occasionally speak against the use of wine by the Brahmanas. Perhaps the book may help in correcting our hypocritic attitude against wine though abstinence from alcoholic drinks is always beneficial. About the Author Uma Prasad Thapliyal was born in Uttarakhand in 1938. An alumnus of Allahabad and Delhi Universities he served as the Director of the History Division Ministry of Defence till 1996. After superannuation he was appointed the General Editor to publish some operational histories by the Ministry. He has authored more than thirty books related to the military history of India from the earliest times. He is a recipient of various awards for his original research works. Many of his research papers have been published in reputed historical journals. In recognition of his outstanding research acumen ICHR honoured him with postdoctoral fellowship and senior academic fellowship. He also delivered talks at Nehru Centre London and Oxford University on Indian participation in World War II.
