author

C. A. (Charles Augustus) Kincaid

1870–1954

Best known for vivid books on Indian history and folklore, this British civil servant wrote with a storyteller’s eye as well as a researcher’s patience. His work on the Marathas and on Hindu gods helped introduce many readers to South Asian history and tradition.

1 Audiobook

Deccan Nursery Tales; or, Fairy Tales from the South

Deccan Nursery Tales; or, Fairy Tales from the South

by C. A. (Charles Augustus) Kincaid

About the author

Born in 1870, Charles Augustus Kincaid was a British civil servant in India who also became a prolific writer. He served in the Bombay Presidency and is remembered in particular for historical and cultural books shaped by his long experience of western India.

His best-known works include The History of the Maratha People, written with D. B. Parasnis, as well as books such as The Grand Rebel and The Hindu Gods and How to Recognize Them. His writing often tried to make Indian history, legend, and religious tradition lively and accessible for general readers.

Kincaid died in 1954. He is still of interest today mainly for the way his books brought together colonial-era administration, historical narrative, and a strong fascination with Indian society and the past.