The Fourth Volume of A Comprehensive History of India covers the period from c. 985 ce to 1206 ce. A clear and connected sourcebased account of the political organization of this period has been provided by competent contributors in the first part of the volume published a few years ago. The second part of the volume being presented here treats social economic religious literary and cultural developments together with coinage science and technology and India’s contacts with the outside world during the period. All contributions are marked by their varied perspectives taking cognisance of not only regional specificities but also of the macroview of such developments. Notwithstanding the multiplication of political power centres during the period under survey the dynamism of socioeconomic and cultural lives of people never faded away. The volume locates this dynamism within the broad panIndia vision. It also includes more than a hundred illustrations is provided with an exhaustive and up to date bibliographic survey and multifaceted index to facilitate location of reader’s curiosities. About the Author The late Professor R.S. Sharma (19202011) was an Emeritus Professor of History Patna University and took retirement from the University of Delhi in 1985. In an active career spanning over nearly six decades he produced numerous landmark publications such as Sudras in Ancient India Indian Feudalism and Urban Decay in India (c.300c.1000). He was the Founder Chairperson of the Indian Council of Historical Research (197277). K.M. Shrimali (b.1947) retired as a Professor of History University of Delhi after serving for more than four decades (19682012). He has authored ten books and presided over several history congresses including the Indian History Congress. He is committed to disseminate scientific and secular history through the teaching and writing of history. His forthcoming book is History Archaeology and Ideology: Essays on Intellectual and Social History of Early India.
