Warfare and Weaponry in South Asia, 1000-1800

This volume consists of some of the most pioneering attempts to bring to light the almost forgotten field of military history. Did the Sultanate period see a Military revolution? How important was the development of artillery and firearms for Mughal warfare? How far were new techniques of warfare devised in the pre-colonial period the result of diffusion from the west or local initiative? These are some of the issues raised in this collection. It appears that, as much as to its cherished ideals of non-violence, South Asian society was equally committed to the more sordid practice of war. This was a highly dynamic world appealing to a wide variety to participants of peasants, gentlemen, sannyasins, mercenaries, and slaves. Introduced by two Dutch historians from Leiden University, this book is an essential first introduction to what recently has been labelled as the new military history of South Asia.