The Conference on American Understanding of India was convened during the Year of India' in the United States, 1985-86. Indian and American scholars versed in a broad range of disciplines were invited to the Library of Congress in October 1986 to discuss and evaluate the penetration of Indian ideas and artifacts into the consciousness of Americans and contributions Americans and Indian immigrants have made to our understanding of South Asia. Progress towards publication was interrupted by the paralytic disablement and subsequent retirement of the editor. Despite the inevitable temporal gap, some of the presenters think it useful that the conference papers be made available to a wider audience. It must be understood that the ideas and assessments expressed are attributable to their authors only as of the period of the conference and may not reflect their views today.