Situating Medieval India

This book probes medieval India from different angles. Its themes, spread evenly across six centuries (1200-1800), study the realities of state formation, social fabrics and cultural mores. On Delhi Sultanate, it deals with the social identity of government officers, exercise of sovereign authority and political assimilation of local elements. Depending on the letters of Ain Mahru, it maps the expansion of state power in the outlying regions. An attempt has also been made to trace the growth of scientific approach and the introduction of technical devices. Turning to the Mughal era, the book documents the modes of crossing rivers in various geographical situations. It analyzes the political discourse of Muhammad Baqir (1612) on the functions of an ideal monarch, principles of governance and difficulties of nobles. It opens a window into the convivial meetings at the Mughal court (1626), besides deliberating on the wondrous phenomena embedded in contemporary histories. Equally important, it assesses the scholarly literature on the history of South Asian Islam. This book identifies diverse strands in the cultural ethos of medieval Panjab, while appreciating the memories of Dulla Bhatti in modern imagination. Relying on the observations of Mirza Hasan Qatil, it delves into the social stratification among the Hindus and Muslims.