State, Pluralism, and the Indian Historical Tradition

This collection of seminal essays of one of India’s leading historians and educationist, was written during the last ten years. Providing a comprehensive view of medical India, the volume deals with the four main themes of evolution of state, role of towns and urbanism, the historical and maritime traditions, and cultural pluralism. Satish Chandra examines India’s worldview, based on Buddhist and Hindu concepts and Kautilya’s mandal theory and explores its linkages with foreign policy Jawaharlal Nehru. His essays on the evolution of state in medieval India underline the deeply hierarchical society and accelerating process of economic change and draw contrasts with the more traditional Rajput and Maratha state formation. Investing the historical functions of town in Asia, the author also discusses the culture role of towns such as Delhi, and the economic character of qasbas in Western Rajasthan. In a related essay, he considers the socio-cultural milieu of the pluralistic traditions of Sufism and Bhakti in India and Pakistan. The book also provides a synoptic view of India’s maritime traditions. Analysing the factors behind Mughal refusal to build a navy, Chandra argues that Aurangzeb felt this would unite all European Powers in opposition. Underlining the social factor, he also asserts that the Mughal amirs preferred leading cavalry units to commanding ships. Towards the end of the volume, the author surveys the role of three leading Indian historians –Ishwari Prasad, R.P. Tripathi, and S. Nurul hasan-in promoting a more critical and secular view of medieval India. In a concluding historical assessment of the last fifty years, he highlights the role India could play in a challenging world order. This collection will be of great interest to scholars and students of medieval and modern Indian history, politics, and cultural studies.