A Comprehensive History of Medieval India (From The Twelfth to The Mid-Eighteenth Century)

Book Specification

Book Description

About the Book

A Comprehensive History of Medieval India presents a consolidated timeline of medieval India by taking into account the period that marked the end of ancient India, and focusing on the importance of the transitory centuries when Delhi had begun to surface as the new power centre, triggering prominent trends in thought and institutions. This book analyses the nature of social forces, complexity of causation and the interdependence of change and continuity in the light of the crucial transition from ancient to early medieval India, with the emergence of the Delhi Sultanate and the Vijayanagar-Bahmani kingdoms. Proceeding to detail the most effervescent period in Indian history-the era of the great Mughals-the text provides an insight into the ideological-philosophical basis of the times, focusing on the Sufi and Bhakti movements, and culminates with the rise of the Marathas, the advent of European companies, and the eventual establishment of the British in Bengal.

Keeping in mind that the history of medieval India has not moved in a linear fashion, and that much of the period saw phases of expansion and realignment of political attributes, this book contributes to a deeper understanding of the much misread period of Indian history with a view that takes into account the resultant interface between the political, social, economic, religious and cultural elements L\I1d devotes to this crucial period the attention it deserves.

Features

Extensive documentation covering 800 years of history

Over 30 maps to aid the students visualize the changing political geography

Over 40 photographs and paintings depicting the centuries of rich heritage

Boxed items on key terms and concepts

Dynastic chronologies and historical timelines

Part-opening vignettes that recount historical anecdotes

Chapter-end summaries to aid revision

Keywords to identify and analyse the vital concepts

Questions for review and discussion

About the Author

Salma Ahmed Farooqui is Associate Professor of History at the Directorate of Distance Education, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad. A gold medallist from the University of Hyderabad and an UGC-JRF/SRF awardee she completed the MPhil and PhD programmes in History from the same university. She then proceeded to finish a post-doctoral fellowship awarded by the K. K. Birla Academy, Division of Historical Research, New Delhi. She has also worked with ICFAI University. Her resolve to look at the past afresh with a questioning mind has led to several research publications which include two books, Islam and the Mughal State and Multicultural Dimensions of Medieval Deccan, and several papers. Her presentation of papers at many 1i.ational and international seminars and conferences include one at the University of Cambridge, UK. She was also selected for the Study of the United States Institutes Program on Religious Pluralism hosted by the University of California, Santa Barbara, USA.

Preface

The study of medieval Indian history has engaged both scholars and students over the last two hundred years in India and elsewhere. Its understanding and interpretation illustrates the nature of social forces, complexity of causation and the interdependence of change and continuity. Whenever a book on medieval Indian history is written and read, a connection needs to be established between the reading of the text and its multi-layered historical perspective that encompasses the political, social, economic and cultural contexts. A Comprehensive History of Medieval India assesses the entire medieval period-twelfth to the mid-eighteenth century-from multiple perspectives, enabling the reader to build connections and form new ideas. The primary objective of this book is to aid students in becoming active historians, and scholars to refresh their memory and generate fresh views on the progression of medieval Indian history. Keeping this in mind, the book has been designed to appeal to a wide audience and to give this crucial period of Indian history the attention it deserves.

Organized into eight parts, the thirty-three chapters of approximately equal length begin with an introductory part on the crucial transition from ancient to early medieval India. The parts on the Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagar-Bahmani kingdoms and the Mughals proceed chronologically to the Marathas, and the advent of European companies to the establishment of the British in Bengal depicting the unfolding of the developments as they occurred during this entire period. In-between these parts, a section on religious thought provides an insight into the ideological-philosophical basis of the times, focusing on the Sufi and Bhakti movements. The chapters in themselves follow the course of medieval Indian history in chronological order so that the reader learns to grasp the essential