Reading In Indian History

This book contains five essays and one monograph on Medieval and Modern Indian history. The essay on 'Ibn Khaldun' formulates his conception of history, which was the earliest attempt made by any historian to discover a pattern in the changes that occur in man's political and social organisation. The next on 'Al-Biruni' brings out the contributions of the first scientific Indologist. The third on 'the Sufi Silsilas' is a critical appreciation of the various religious orders as developed in India. The fourth on 'Islamic Architecture' is a graphic account of the evolution and culmination of the style of Indo-Islamic Architecture. The monograph on 'Sayyid Ahmad Shahid' is based on yet unexplored sources of information. It presents a scientific portrayal of the mission and movement of Sayyid Ahmad Shahid, and highlights the evolution of two-nation theory. The fifth paper is an interesting refreshing portrayal of the different sects in Islam particularly among the Indian Muslims.