Nomadic Narratives: A History of Mobility and Identity in the Great Indian Desert

The book is a study of the region of the Thar Desert as a historical region where mobile communities of warriors, pastoralists, traders and others existed exchanging wealth and narratives. Emphasising on shared histories and mixed identities in the region, it criticises the notion of ascribing the land to Rajput dominance and influence in the medieval times and later even though along with the Rajputs, other groups like the Meenas, Soomras and Pathans were important in the region and were strong enough to force the Rajputs to negotiate with them. It examines the role of Rajput court narratives and narratives of British administrator-historians in giving primacy to Rajput histories. It uses a range of oral and written narratives including records of the regional rulers and the British as well as travelogues to explain the links between memory, history and identity, and mobility and marginality in Rajasthan’s desert areas over centuries.