These essays, written over the last quarter of a century, deal with a number of problems of relevance-social change and development dealing mainly in medieval India but tracing the developments in the earlier period, and the impact of these on present developmental approaches; the role of cities in fostering an integrated composite culture; the role of Raja Ram Mohan Roy and the problem of integration, dynamism and decay in Indian culture. These are related to the growth of education in India, and the need to safeguard against fundamentalism and upholding the values of rationalism. The author argues that while there was continuous growth in medieval times, the major fruits of development were appropriated by narrow privileged sections, as is often the case.
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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