Rethinking Early Medieval India

Covering the period, c. 600-1300 CE, this volume presents a comprehensive account of early medieval India. Divided into four parts, Part I highlights the major explanatory models including their perspectives on the political processes of the period. It contains the latest and most mature reflections with regard to feudalism, segmentary state, and the integrative /processual models. Part II focuses on social and economic processes like the varna, jati, agrarian structure, urban patterns and trade as well as gender relations. Part III discusses religion and culture and how these were expressed within and beyond regional configurations. It raises important questions concerning the relationship between region, religion, community and identity. Part IV examines the important, but till recently rather neglected, spheres of language and ideas of the subcontinent's pre-Sultanate and non-Sultanate history. The introduction analyses the early medieval in the context of larger questions related to periodization and focuses on general historiographical issues. It also gives the reader an entry-point into debates on various facets of the period, anchoring the discussion of major themes to the selected essays. The book gives an overview of the debates as well as opens the door to fresh areas of inquiry which have so far been neglected.