Tag Archives: History

The assassination of Gandhi marked a new stage in the history of the RSS. The organization, due to the immense public anger against it, and the imprisonment of Golwalkar, was forced to change its strategy. It was compelled to cease its violent actions and adopt measures which were acceptable in a sane society.

Some, though not all, of these aspects emerge from Purandare’s lucid prose. Strangely enough, the book has no bibliography but in the notes the reader will notice the major secondary sources, including biographies, on which the book is based; NC Kelkar (Marathi, 1923), Bhagwat and Pradhan (English, 2016), NR Phatak (Marathi, 1972), and Keer (English, 1959) are copiously drawn upon.

The Empire was, by the end of the seventeenth century, essentially an ‘Empire of the Indian Subcontinent’, encompassing almost the entire subcontinent. In the formative phase of his military career Aurangzeb had gained his experience in Central Asia where he had been deputed by Shah Jahan for campaigns in Balkh and Badakhshan.

Evaluating the nature of court histories and court chronicles, Joshi raises a few historiographical issues. Relating his concerns, he asserts that while these narratives depict the occurrences pertaining to official gatherings or festive events attended by elitist politically powerful male members,

Urban improvement by accumulating funds through lottery was popular in eighteenth and early nineteenth-century British colonies. The basic idea was that city-dwellers would voluntarily buy lotteries, and improvement would be funded from that money.

In the succinctly written Introduction, Aparna Vaidik, besides providing a bird’s eye-view of the book, discusses the complex nature of the primary theme of her study, viz., the historical-legal aspects of the Case, and the difficulties that she, as a historian, faced while working on it. An important challenge which she faced related to presenting a difficult theme in ‘accessible prose’

From a geopolitical perspective, British involvement in the Hajj served multiple strategic purposes. It allowed the empire to assert control over trade routes and exert influence in key regions such as Jeddah. Simultaneously, the British sought to earn the loyalty and legitimacy of their Muslim subjects by facilitating the pilgrimage, a move that was both pragmatic and symbolic. However

Despite a slightly rambling style and loose prose of the book, exhaustive research is evident emanating from a passion that rebuked any naked manipulation of knowledge. We gain well from the author’s efforts in presenting information on this crucial period of deep histories

The second part of the book concentrates on the Sufi orders which operated during Bahmani times, described in tandem with contemporary political events and rulers. One chapter reiterates Chishti tenets as found in north India and discusses Zain al-Din Shirazi’s and Gisudaraz’s relationships with the rulers. After Zain al-Din’s passing in 1369, Siddiqi sees a vacuum in Sufi activities in the Deccan

The fourth section entitled ‘Social History: Reflections on Conceptual Issues’ contains five essays reflecting mainly upon several historiographical approaches. In the chapter on ‘Social Structure and Commercial Pursuits in Early India’, the author focuses on the terminological parameters of commercial pursuits. Leaving aside the common terms, the author questions the meaning of vārtā in the changing contexts of society. He further questions how in ancient Indian terminological parameters

Simplicity offers opportunity to cleanse Perry’s apartment of possessions he did not really need (not going as far as to replace all his clothes with a dhoti or lungi, concluding sadly that he was not built for them) and to acquiring two new talents—spinning and playing the tabla.

Each scholar takes a different track: the art historian Zitzewitz looks at the theatrical performances that are imaged in the artist’s photo-performances, tracing a historical lineage to popular performances and even the artist’s own childhood participation in dramatic enactments of historical and mythological stories. Zitzewitz further argues for the interpretation of performance as an inhabiting of gender. Whether exploring the gendered iconography of nation or cinematic tropes

Ruby Lal, immersed in the themes of oblivion and erasure to understand the past, and particularly to investigate why certain persons, including women, could not take centre stage in Mughal history, dwells on the practice of erasure of the extraordinary literary prose work of Gulbadan, the only woman Mughal memoirist.

However, one feature that is common in both diaries is that both Ananda Ranga Pillai and Viranaicker considered themselves loyal subjects of the French. In spite of articulating his criticism of the French so clearly, Pillai did not ever exhibit any nationalist consciousness or preference for being under indigenous rule.

Those lured (or even blackmailed or kidnapped) to join, faced a tough journey which was under inhumane conditions, and often led to death, which of course was not expected. However, the author points out that for the westerners, the offer of indenture was considered as a relief, offering a better life for the famine-stricken poor in the country.

The zamindars mercilessly squeezed the peasants leaving them no incentive to produce more. The development of infrastructure, including railways and irrigation facilities led to the commercialization of agriculture and monetization of the rural economy with uneven effects on different areas and sections of the people.

Though the book makes an important contribution, there are a few areas which the author could have fleshed out more. There is an over-emphasis on Hindu women and mothers and very little mention of Muslim women. Likewise, during the colonial period

The book is indeed a detailed micro-history of the city, looking at the lives of individuals, communities and localities and their interactions with each other and their transformations from the 1930s to the mid-1950s, and the impact of the transition from a colony to a state to a nation on the city.

Anindyo Roy’s account of Lear’s visit to India stands out as the kind of travel book that Lear hoped to write from his journal jottings: ‘A travel book that that was akin to a kind of music: it was not a trophy, not a mirror held up to nature. Like a kaleidoscope

The book expands on existing research that examines the historical sociology of middle-class Indians, focusing on how they defined themselves and their role as agents of modernity during the 1920s and 1930s. It primarily explores western India, specifically Bombay and Pune, and deliberates on various Indian groups such as Marathi Brahmins, Gujarati upper castes