We attempt to synthesize available quantitative, precisely
dated and high-resolution palaeorecords of the South Asian summer monsoon from different natural archives, highlighting their similarities and differences.

We distinguish between the palaeorecords of monsoon winds and monsoon rainfall and underscore the importance of quantitative rainfall reconstruction using the amount effect in monsoon rainfall, which has been demonstrated based on actual measurements. Predicting the future of water resources of India in the context of Global Change, intimately coupled with the
variations of monsoon, depends on how well we understand the palaeomonsoon.