<p>This volume is a tribute to the great service rendered to historiographical tradition by one of the most outstanding historians of our times Prof. Dr. K.S. Mathew. His colleagues friends students and admirers all over the world have made use of this opportunity to express their solidarity with him by contributing scholarly articles which make this volume a rich collection of research papers on IndoEuropean history for which Prof. Mathew has spent his whole lifetime and continues to do so. ‘The Portuguese’ ‘Indian Ocean’ and ‘European expansion’ form the three major thematic areas on which he concentrated his academic researches for more than three decades and hence the felicitation volume has taken this wider thematic frame. Most of the articles are authored by renowned historians who are part of the new historiographical school which tries to explode the various myths regarding the European expansion in the East and attempts to reconstruct the European activities in India in their right perspective giving focus on their Indocentric dimensions. About the Author An author/editor of a large number of important publications Pius Malekandathil is a former Professor at the Centre for Historical Studies Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi. His major publications include The Germans the Portuguese and India (1999) Portuguese Cochin and the Maritime Trade of India AD 15001663 (2001) Jornada of Dom Alexis Menezes: A Portuguese Account of the Sixteenth Century Malabar (2003) Maritime India: Trade Religion and Polity in the Indian Ocean (2010) The Mughals the Portuguese and the Indian Ocean: Changing Imageries of Maritime India (2013) The Indian Ocean in the Making of Early Modern India (2016) and Maritime Malabar: Trade Religion and Culture (2022). T. Jamal Mohammed secured a M.A. degree from Aligarh Muslim University and Ph.D. from M.S. University Baroda. He was the Principal of Mannaniya College of Arts &amp; Science Pangode Trivandrum and a Syndicate Member of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit Kalady. He is the author of The Gujaratis (1990) Perspectives of Kerala Studies (2000) and Trading Communities in Kerala Trivandrum (2000).</p>

<p>The history of art in the Indian subcontinent indeed is highly rich in its content aesthetical value and ornated in nature. The study of art is one of the most popular themes developed in the scholastic world in the twentieth century. But how the nature of art is studied is something unique in its approach. Coomaraswamy writes in this volume which covers the study of art and how its reconstruction was assessed in Indian contexts. Beginning with the history of art in the theoretical sense it covers the art forms practiced in Asia such as Hindu Buddhist Chinese Islamic and others forms in the initial part of the volume. Interestingly he also discusses the famous medieval German Catholic theologian Meister Eckhart (c.1328) in terms of art in a theoretical sense. This volume covers the perspective of Indian arts the concept of paroksha which is an important term applied in Buddhism and abhasa or appearance which is used in Hindu philosophy. The author also compares the Indian concepts of art with Western philosophy and thought which is the most interesting part. The concluding part of this book covers the origins and usage of images in Indian art. About the Author Ananda K. Coomaraswamy (22 August 1877–9 September 1947) is a Ceylonbased metaphysician historian theorist and philosopher of Indian art. He brought the Indian tradition of art into the western world. He was also seen as the bridgemaker between western and Indian art and phil­osophy as he was much inspired by Hindu and GrecoRoman trad­itions. His works were influenced by the Traditionalist and Perennial Schools of Philosophy. He authored several books which were based on the traditional arts metaphysics and social criticism. He was also the curator of Indian art at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.</p>

<p>This volume is based on the memoirs of the Augustinian friar Sebastien Manrique’s expedition to South and Southeast Asia from ad 15901600. The biographical account begins with the intricate details about the Portuguese colony of Goa which Manrique calls ‘Golden Goa’. The author narrates Manrique’s visit to a Jesuitrun hospital in Goa his pilgrimage to Bom Jesus Basilica and the embalmed mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier the revered Roman Catholic saint of Goa. The memoir describes the Jesuit missionary’s visit to the Mughal court under Akbar Manrique's meeting with Roberto de Nobili and other Augustinian friars and his visit to Bengal around Hooghly where an Augustinian monastery was located. The later part of this book contains his visit to the Burmese court and the vivid description of it the assassination of the Arakanese monarch ThiriThu Dhamma and the murder of Manrique himself. This book is highly important for studying the period of the Mughals and Arakanese MraukU Kingdom from the late sixteenth to the early seventeenth century. About the Author Maurice Collis was an English officer and a profound writer. He served as an administrator in Burma which at that time was a British colony. After entering into the Indian Civil Service he served in Palestine in 1917. He was appointed as a district commissioner in Arakan in the 1920s and in 1930 as a district magistrate in Rangoon. He is the author of several memoirs biographies history fiction drama and other miscellaneous topics. His works include the famous work Trials in Burma Stanley Spencer: A Biography The Grand Peregrina­tion: Being the Life and Adventures of Fernão Mendes Pinto etc.</p>

<p>This volume is primarily based on two essays ‘Roman and the British Empire’ and ‘Extension of Roman and English Laws throughout the World’. The first essay is a comparative study of the modern British Empire and the classical Roman Empire. This part is deals with the British and Roman attitudes towards race military character and strength despotic systems followed by both empires taxation revenue and administrative policies attitude towards natives and induction of the native population into civil services and the military and influences of climate and geographic condition in the expansion of British and Roman Empire. The second essay deals with the issue of Roman and English laws the Roman imperial laws their attitude towards Indian laws the mixture of English and Indian laws in India and the future of Roman and British laws promulgated throughout the world. This book is for students and researchers interested in comparative politics history and law. About the Author James Bryce was a British academic historian barrister and member of the Liberal Party of UK. He was the Ambassador to the USA until 1913. He wrote books such as The Holy Roman Empire The American Commonwealth Essays and Addresses in War Time The Hindrances to Good Citizenship and the Treatment of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire 191516 etc.</p>

<p>In the nineteenth century the British crown expanded its reach in almost all parts of the world from China to America overpowering the Portu­guese Spanish Dutch and the French. The period also witnessed the contestation between the English East India Company the Czarist Russia and the Qajar Persian kingdom to prevent Russian expansion into India by creating a buffer zone in Central Asia along with the support of the Emirate of Afghanistan. The English East India Company’s feud with the Persians in 1856 also known as the AngloPersian war forms the basis of this monograph. This book contains descriptions taken from memoirs journals letters and correspondences from lower and upper officials military men and the GovernorGeneral. It also focuses on the exploits of the Victorian military and the arrival of the British in cities such as Kabul Herat and Tehran. About the Author Barbara English was educated in medieval history at St. Andrews University Scotland. She worked as an archivist in Yorkshire and a publisher in Edinburgh. Apart from writing history she was also interested in the conservation of ancient towns and cities. She authored books such as the Lords of Holderness 10861260: A Study in Feudal History Strict Settlement: A Guide for Historians and The Great Land­owners of East Yorkshire 15301910.</p>

<p>Ghond the Hunter is based on the story of a 15yearold boy Ghond and his training as a hunter the festivals and customs in which he partici­pates and his keen observation of wildlife. The book covers manner­isms customs themes associated with the countryside festivals flora and fauna (especially wild animals) and the issue of rite of passage. This book is arranged in lyrical form where the story brings out the close relationship of humans and animals. It is helpful to understand India from an anthropological point of view. About the Author Dhan Gopal Mukerji (18901936) was a renowned Indian man of letters based in the United States and a recipient of the Newbery Medal in 1928. He studied at Duff School (also known as Scottish School) and the Duff College (University of Calcutta) and later at the University of Tokyo. He enrolled at UCLA Berkeley and shifted to Stanford University to study philosophy. He wrote Sandhya or Songs of Twilight Rajani or Songs of the Night and his autobiography Caste and Outcaste.</p>

<p>An Account of the Kingdom of Nepaul is the description of the Kingdom of Nepal in the late eighteenth century. It covers the en route to Kathmandu and other regions in Nepalese country. It is a firsthand account offered by a British official posted in the region in 1793 when the Nepalese kingdom sought help from the British following the Chinese incursion in Kathmandu and the existing dispute with Tibet. This book offers Nepal’s historical sketch the economic systems military organization and judicial system followed during the reign of the Nepal kingdom. Kirkpatrick discusses the temple towns and village life customs and mannerisms of the Nepalese people. The book also covers the language tribal communities numis­matics and religion of the country. About the Author Colonel Kirkpatrick (17541812) officially known as William Kirkpatrick was an English East India Company officer diplomat and orientalist. He was an Persian interpreter in the East India Company army and served as Resident in princely states of Scindias and the Nizams of Hyderabad. He authored books like Grammar of the Hindoo Dialect and an Arabic and Persian Vocabulary (1782) and the Diary and Letters of Tippoo Sultaun (1804) which is a collection of English translated works written in Persian attributed to the Mysore ruler.</p>

<p>The book is about the career of Samuel White during his stay in the Siam region which is the modernday Thailand. White was declared the ruler of Siam under James II of England. The book contains a description of the AngloSiamese War which was conducted in the year 168788 which was between the English East India Company and the Kingdom of Siam. The book also contains a letter from White related to his kinsmen preserved in the Bath Municipal Library which dates back to 1683. About the Author Maurice Collis was an English officer and a profound writer. He served as an administrator in Burma which at that time was a British colony. After entering into the Indian Civil Service he served in Palestine in 1917. He was appointed as a district commissioner in Arakan in the 1920s and in 1930 as a district magistrate in Rangoon. He is the author of several memoirs biographies history fiction drama and other miscellaneous topics. His works include the famous work Trials in Burma; Stanley Spencer: A Biography; The Grand Peregrina­tion: Being the Life and Adventures of Fernão Mendes Pinto etc.</p>

<p>Muslims face acute political deprivation at all levels in spite of their immense contribution towards the survival of democracy in India. The volume attempts to gauge and analyze the political underrepresentation of Muslims in the Parliament and state assemblies as well as their nomination by the mainstream national and regional parties. The book analyzes the reasons responsible for their absence in politics and power including their undernomination in secular parties denial of SC status to them Muslimmajority seats being reserved for SCs etc. The book also discusses the rise of the BJP and its exclusionary attitude communalization of political space and its fall out on the attitude of the secular parties which thrive on Muslim votes. It also focuses on the internal factors within Muslims such as presence of many Muslim candidates in Muslimdominated seats division of secular votes lack of leadership and their inability to forge a viable political alliance with other deprived groups. The volume also attempts to analyze the rise of upper caste Hindus in politics political deprivation of Hindu OBCs and necessity of due share of Pasmanda Muslims in politics for secularization of political space. The author delves closely into what strategies Muslims must adopt to have at least proportional share and introspection on how to create an effective political space. The volume advocates a forceful change of attitude thinking and action on the part of various factors involved: govern­ment political parties media academic circles the community itself and other deprived sections. Finally the book advocates for inclusive democracy and social democracy as advocated by Dr. Ambedkar to eradicate inequality in politics and to have an allrepresentative government. About the Author Abdur Rahman a member of the Indian Police Service (IPS) has worked for more than twentytwo years in different positions across Maharashtra. Belonging to a small village in Bihar he obtained a B.Tech. degree from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. His previous books Sachar ki Sifarishein (Recommendations of Sachar) in Hindi (2012) and Denial and Deprivation: Indian Muslims after the Sachar Committee and Ranganath Mishra Commission Reports (2019) were widely acclaimed. He writes and also gives lectures on a wide range of social educational political and contemporary issues. He resigned from the service in December 2019.</p>

<p>Muslims face acute political deprivation at all levels in spite of their immense contribution towards the survival of democracy in India. The volume attempts to gauge and analyze the political underrepresentation of Muslims in the Parliament and state assemblies as well as their nomination by the mainstream national and regional parties. The book analyzes the reasons responsible for their absence in politics and power including their undernomination in secular parties denial of SC status to them Muslimmajority seats being reserved for SCs etc. The book also discusses the rise of the BJP and its exclusionary attitude communalization of political space and its fall out on the attitude of the secular parties which thrive on Muslim votes. It also focuses on the internal factors within Muslims such as presence of many Muslim candidates in Muslimdominated seats division of secular votes lack of leadership and their inability to forge a viable political alliance with other deprived groups. The volume also attempts to analyze the rise of upper caste Hindus in politics political deprivation of Hindu OBCs and necessity of due share of Pasmanda Muslims in politics for secularization of political space. The author delves closely into what strategies Muslims must adopt to have at least proportional share and introspection on how to create an effective political space. The volume advocates a forceful change of attitude thinking and action on the part of various factors involved: govern­ment political parties media academic circles the community itself and other deprived sections. Finally the book advocates for inclusive democracy and social democracy as advocated by Dr. Ambedkar to eradicate inequality in politics and to have an allrepresentative government. About the Author Abdur Rahman a member of the Indian Police Service (IPS) has worked for more than twentytwo years in different positions across Maharashtra. Belonging to a small village in Bihar he obtained a B.Tech. degree from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. His previous books Sachar ki Sifarishein (Recommendations of Sachar) in Hindi (2012) and Denial and Deprivation: Indian Muslims after the Sachar Committee and Ranganath Mishra Commission Reports (2019) were widely acclaimed. He writes and also gives lectures on a wide range of social educational political and contemporary issues. He resigned from the service in December 2019.</p>