<p>This is the fourth revised version of the book which was first published in 1977. It surveys the major developments in India’s social economic and cultural history up to the end of the ancient period and explains the rise and fall of empires with reference to their material bases. It pays special attention to elements of change and continuity and gives the lie to the view that Indian society has been stagnant and changeless a view propagated by Western scholars in the heyday of British imperialism and which continues to be peddled ingeniously in our own times. It analyses the changing forms of exploitation and social tensions and the role of religion and superstition in curbing them. It also stresses the fact that the achievements of ancient India remarkable though they were cannot cover up the social and economic disparities which we have inherited from the past. The assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and the demolition of the Baburi Masjid are two . . . unforgettable milestones in the unfolding of the backward-looking Hindu revivalist and fascist politics of contemporary India. Since both Harappa and Mohenjodaro are situated now in Pakistan the Hindu revivalists are busy locating the epicentre of the Harappan culture in the elusive Saraswati valley. Some Indian historians tirelessly speak of their [the Guptas] rule as a golden age. . . . The truly golden age of the people does not lie in the past but in the future if at all. About the Author Dwijendra Narayan Jha (b 1940) popularly known as D.N. Jha was educated at the Presidency College Calcutta and Patna University where he taught history for more than a decade. He was professor of History at the University of Delhi until his retirement in 2005. He has authored several books including The Myth of the Holy Cow (London 2002) and Rethinking Hindu Identity (London2009) which have not gone well with India’s Right Wing establishment. Professor Jha was elected sectional President of Andhra Pradesh History Congress (1987) and General President Punjab History Conference (1999). A UGC National lecturer (1984-5) and Honorary Research Fellow Indian Institute of Advanced Study Shimla he was secretary Indian History Cogress (1986-9) which elected him its General President in 2005-6. A recipient of the prestigious H.K. Barpujari Award in 1995 he was honoured by the Asiatic Society of Calcutta in 2011 for his significant contributions. He has held visiting assignments at several universities in India and abroad. He is currently Honorary President International Institute of South Asian Studies Rome (Italy).</p>

<p>The collection of ‘Mutiny Papers’ housed in the National Archives of India Regional Office Bhopal is an invaluable historical resource on the uprising of 1857 in India particularly in the Bundelkhand region and in Central India. These are 10000 documents in Persian spread over 425 files. The book VIIIth in the series presents a word for word translation of the documents from 90 files. The events of 1857 upon which these documents throw light are the siege of Gwalior by the insurgents and its recapture by the British forces and reinstallation of Maharaja Sindhia fall of Rani of Jhansi and the capture of Jhansi by the British. Besides there is an eye-witness account of Delhi from day one when the so-called mutineers arrived in Delhi from Meerut and started indiscriminate killing of the British. Delhi was recaptured subsequently. Nawwab Sikandar Begam the then Nawwab of Bhopal State was one of those who remained loyal to the British Government. Her loyalty saved her small State from any turmoil. While the other States like Jhansi Awadh Banda Farrukhabad Kanpur etc. were completely ruined and captured by the British forces. Delhi the stronghold of the Mughal Empire was fully devastated and captured. Bahadur Shah Zafar the last Mughal King was exiled to Rangoon after the victory of the British forces and India became part of the British Empire afterwards. About the Author Muzaffar-e Islam Assistant Director (Oriental Records) in the National Archives of India has also edited the VIIth volume of the series. He has also compiled the VIth volume of the series of ‘Descriptive List of Acquired Documents’. These are the letters parwanas etc. executed during the early nineteenth century besides the IVth volume of ‘Descriptive List of Persian Correspondence’. These are Persian correspondence which were exchanged between the East India Company and the Nawwabs and the Rajas of India during the year 1804.</p>

<p>This book is an account of two well known travellers John Thavenot a Frenchman and Francesco Gemelli Careri an Italian. It deals with the Indian part of their travels. Both came to India during the time of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Thevenot visited India between 1666 and 1667 and Careri in 1695. Much in the manner of travelogues written by European travellers in that century these narratives are very observant and narrate everything they observed and experienced whilst they were here. The political state of the country the description of the intrigues in the Mughal courts the description of wars and feuds trade and commerce local traditions all find mention in this book. Blessed with an unusually retentive power they wielded a facile pen and commanded a charming style. About the Author Jean de Thevenot (1633-67) during his brief life of 34 years had visited more countries of Europe Asia and Africa than many of his contemporaries. Giovanni Francesco Gemelli Careri (1651-1725) was seventeenth century Italian adventurer and traveller. His travels may have inspired Around the World in 80 days. Surendranath Sen (1890-1959) initially started teaching at the University of Calcutta. In 1939 he shifted to the National Archives of India and worked there till 1949. In 1949 he went back to teaching and joined University of Delhi as a professor.</p>

<p>Milestones in Gujarati Literature by Krishnalal Jhaveri is an exhaustive study of the origin and growth of Gujarati literature. It was not until European scholars made an attempt to write the history of Sanskrit literature the treasures of vernacular literature received scant attention. This book written in 1914 and revised in 1938 covers five and a half centuries of Gujarati literature and ends in the period when the Gujarati writers were drawn to Western literary style. Gujarati literature of this period is a pale copy of Sanskrit literature. Though Mohammedans ruled in Gujarat Arabic and Persian influence is rare. There is also no evidence of prose and they were following the examples set by the Sanskrit masters who even wrote their legal documents maths handbooks etc. in verse. The volume also covers the indigenous literature of Kathiawad and the folk literature of Gujarat. About the Author Krishnalal Mohanlal Jhaveri (1868-1957) was a profound scholar of Gujarati and Persian writer literary historian translator and a judge. Belonging to a family of educators he was a founding member of Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan and Vice-Chancellor of Shreemati Nathibhai Damodar Thackersey Women’s University (SNDT) in Mumbai the first women’s university in India as well as South-East Asia.</p>

<p>Hindostan is technically the Indus and Ganges basins and it is with the music of that part of India that this book primarily deals. Indian music as elsewhere is of varying excellence. The author in the beginning gives an account of his musical experiences during a tour through India history of Indian music scale mode various ragas grace tala drumming ethos and structure of some of the oldest music forms and lastly the laws of melody in Indian music. About the Author A.H. Fox Strangways (1859-1948) was an English musicologist translator editor and music critic. As a music master Strangways developed an interest in Indian music and in the years before the First World War he did much to bring Tagore to wider attention. In 1925 he moved to the Observer as chief music critic</p>

<p>.This short history of Urdu literature aims at describing Urdu language and its literature right from its beginning till the end of 1928. The book covers the origin of Urdu language its early history and also Dakhani Urdu and its writers. No country can afford to neglect her ancient heritage – the treasury of its knowledge wisdom and beauty which are contained in its literature philosophy and art which are too precious to be lost. Utmost care has been taken to select the writers and poets covered in this unique volume. Their works were scholarly and at the same time sympathetic so that the best may be enjoyed by the reader. It also covers the religious period the first literary period in the Deccan when Qutb Shahi poets flourished the Adil Shahi poets Urdu poetry in Delhi and Lucknow in the nineteenth century the later periods and also includes the period of the Fort William translations. At the end is a bibliography of Urdu classics. About the Author T. Grahame Bailey was Reader in Hindi and Urdu in the University of London. Prior to that he was Missionary of the Church of Scotland. He is the author of books on grammar languages of northern Himalayas books on Kanauri vocabulary Punjabi phonetics and Punjabi grammar among other scholarly works.</p>

<p>When England was convulsing under the shock of the outbreak of the Bengal Mutiny reinforcements were being prepared with intense energy. Sir Collin Campbell had been sent out to India to take the military command. Lord Canning was at the helm in Calcutta but the situation was too critical. It was under these circumstances that Sir Henry Montgomery Lawrence was appointed provisionally to succeed to the office of Governor-General of India on the death resignation or coming away of Lord Canning pending the arrival of a successor from England. Though the occasion never arose because Sir Henry Lawrence had already fallen in the Mutiny. This book contains a sketch of the eminent services he rendered including the control of the Sikh government during Lord Hardinge’s rule his part in the pacification and administration of the Punjab after its annexation his subsequent management of the Rajputana states during a period of controversy and irritation and his final but shortlived career in Oudh with his wise and vigorous measures for preparing Lucknow for defence. However most valuable was his special consideration to the feelings traditions and modes of thought of the native community generous treatment of the native leaders and guidance given to them in the discharge of their high functions. About the Author Lieut. General J.J. Mcleod Innes (1830-1907) was commissioned into the Bengal Engineers in 1848 at Sultanpore. He later joined the Royal Engineers and rose to the rank of Lieutenant-General. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry.</p>

<p>Francis Gladwin had a considerable reputation in his days as an accomplished Persian scholar and translator. After his valuable translation of Abul Fazl’s Aini-i-Akbari it encouraged him to persevere in his researches in the history of the successors of Akbar to attempt a delineation of the most material changes that happened in the constitution of Hindostan during the reign of Jahangir Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb. Though he could not complete the project this book which is a fragment of it is complete as far as the reign of Jahangir is con­cerned. It is a scholarly work based on a careful study of the original sources in Persian. Gladwin gives a short but essentially just estimate of Jahangir’s character and attainments. About the Author Francis Gladwin began his career in the service of the East India Company as an officer of the Bengal Army. He resided in India for twenty-three years. He is well known for the translation of Ain-i-Akbari in three substantial volumes. He was appointed Professor of Persian in the College of Fort William in 1801.</p>

<p>The twin provinces of Agra and Oudh form a tract which from the dawn of Hindu civilization has been the home of Hinduism. Its social system is the Hindu social system of northern India. Hindu groups are divided into various castes. This caste system has grown slowly. Discussed in the book is the nature of the caste system in India its evolution into various subcastes sectarian castes new castes etc. Also described are the various primitive customs which were once prevalent among the various castes. Their significance is purely ethnographical. The appendices contain a list of caste names. About the Author Edward Arthur Henry Blunt ICS (1877-1941) was a British Civil Servant and writer. He served at Lucknow Rai Bareli and Benaras.</p>