The present work starts with the theme of decentring of history and how, in the context of decolonization, all people in the world must write their own history. Its goes on to asses the impact of Central Asian ideas and institutions on Indian history during the 10th to 14th centuries, and the growing concept of historiography in the country. In the field of culture, the historical roots of the rise of the bhakti movement are re-examined. The section on state examines the problems of social formations, cultural developments and the growth of the economy on the structure of the state, and comes to the conclusion that despite some limitation, India had by the end of the 17th Century largely completed the first phase of capitalist development. The book also discusses the concept and evolution of different types of Islamic states in India-Orthodox, moderate, liberal and secularist.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Satish Chandra
Satish Chandra (b. 1922) is among a select band of historians who helped to give a new shape to Indian history after independence. He was Professor of History, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Vice Chairman and Chairman, University Grants Commission (1972-81). He taught at the Universities of Allahabad, Aligarh Muslim, Delhi and Rajasthan. He was Smuts' Visiting Professor, Cambridge University (1971) and Associated with many national and international agencies. He was secretary and later President, Indian History Congress (1973), Council Member, United Nations University, Tokyo (1980-86), Associate Director of Research, Maison des Sciences de I'Homme, Paris; Member, Executive Board, International Congress of Historical Sciences, Paris, etc. He was also Chairman of the Committee to review Civil Services Examination in Delhi. He had written and edited many books on Medieval Indian History, and the Indian Ocean History and published a large number of research articles in national and international journals. Some of these have been brought together and published in three monographs. Presently, he is Executive Chairman, Maulana Azad Institute of Asian Studies, Calcutta and Secretary-cum-Treasurer, Society for Indian Ocean Studies. He is also the Secretary of the twelve volumes comprising History of India scheme prepared by the Indian History Congress.
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