The Evolution of a Nation Pre-Colonial to Post-Colonial : Essays in Memory of R.S. Sharma

Professor Ram Sharan Sharma (d.20 August 2011) was a trendsetter in the field of Indian historical research and has the unique distinction of changing its direction in post-Independence India. He made sharp departures from both colonialist and chauvinist perceptions of India’s past. He shifted the focus of history writing from the chronicle of kings and queens to the history of the common people, took Indian history away from the realm of myths and legends, and radically demystified it. A champion of India’s secular social fabric and its composite culture, he led the historians in their fight against communalism, advocated the cause of scientific history and repudiated those who indulged in undue glorification of the past. The present volume consists of articles by scholars researching on themes and periods different from those on which Professor Sharma himself worked but were always with him in his effort to decolonize and secularize Indian historiography. This collection of papers on themes from pre-colonial to post-colonial history of India deals with issues like periodization, rise of military feudalism and caste in medieval Bengal. They examine documents on medieval urbanization and the various facets of Mughal state and its administrative apparatus. The essays also focus on the importance of specific literary genres, medieval Indian trade with outside world, colonialism’s impact on the colonies as well as the colonizers, and survey the development of communal politics as well as the left movement. These contributions deepen our understanding of the subjects that were dear to Professor Sharma. (jacket).…