Social Formations in the Medieval World

This book encapsulates a period of history of human progress by highlighting crucial social, economic, and cultural dynamics. It presents recent historiography and new analytical tools used to analyse multi-dimensional themes involved in social formation. This is a reader-friendly book with simple and lucid language and fulfils the pressing needs of students studying the paper ‘Social Formations and Cultural Patterns of Ancient and Medieval World’ at various universities across the world. The summary, keywords, and representative questions at the end of each chapter would assist in revision and better understanding of the issues dealt therein. A detailed chapter-end reference would enable and motivate the readers to engage in further studies for better understanding of the themes.

This book will be of interest to students, researchers, and academics in the area of history―ancient and medieval world history in particular and anthropology. It will also be an interesting read for general readers interested in knowing about the ancient and medieval world.

Rakesh Kumar has done MPhil and PhD in History from Delhi University. His area of specialisation is Medieval Indian History, but his interest area goes beyond to cover studies dealing with ancient and medieval world. He has written on several themes related to medieval Indian history such as ‘Nature of the Mughal State’, ‘Currency System during the Mughal Age’, ‘Art of Printing and Painting of Cloth during the Mughal Period’, ‘Ghalib’s Contribution towards Urdu Literature’, ‘Indo-Persian Literature-Works of Amir Khusrau’, and ‘Labourers and Artisans in Seventeenth Century Ahmadabad’, to mention a few. His passion for teaching and caring for students has meant that most of his publications have been aimed towards benefiting the students. Present work is a move in similar direction with a difference that while his earlier publications had readership primarily among students at Delhi University, this book, it is hoped, would benefit students and general readers at the pan-Indian and global levels. His devotion towards teaching has earned him the ‘Teaching Excellence Award’ conferred by the University of Delhi on its Foundation Day, 1 May 2014. Dr Kumar’s MPhil dissertation is on ‘Labourers and Artisans in the City of Agra (16th–7th Century)’ and his PhD thesis is entitled ‘Towns, Bazars, and the Working Population in the Ahmadabad Region during the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries’.

Rakesh Kumar has also presented papers in international seminars organised by the Center for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Lal Nehru University. As a part of a Government of India project, he has been instrumental in developing a first-of-its-kind geo-tourism model in India aimed at education, protection of geo-diversity and benefit to the rural community in Almora District of the Indian hill state of Uttarakhand. Presently he is working as Professor, Department of History, Ram Lal Anand College (University of Delhi).