Rethinking India's Past

Written over a period of six decades, this volume deals with various sources and approaches to history writing in India. The essays cover all aspects of early Indian history: political--ideas and institutions, studies on polity, theory of Oriental Despotism, western view on the state; social--Sudras, kin and class, sati system, social orders and changes; economic--mode of production, stages and evolution of ancient economy, Feudalism, transition from ancient to medieval; and historical methods-historical archeology and trends in history writing highlighting the need for an integrated approach to history writing. The volume presents a combination of empirical research and original perspective to understanding early Indian history.