The fascinating and chequered history of Delhi through the centuries has been a popular subject among authors. Yet, only a few other than K.A. Nizami record in rich detail the cultural, social, economic, and spiritual fabric of the city—the ‘gorgeous blaze of glory’ that was Delhi—between the thirteenth and eighteenth centuries. He presents his accounts of the periods of the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughals, and the poet Ghalib through the analyses of wide-ranging sources: original literary, travel, biographical, hagiographical, and administrative accounts in Persian, Hindavi, and Urdu. This book is a compilation of the historian’s lectures delivered at the University of Delhi and the Ghalib Institute in Delhi, first published in Urdu in 1972. The author’s conversational style, replete with literary allusions, makes this an essential read for lovers and admirers of this beguiling city and its historic Sufi culture. Ather Farouqui’s English translation captures the true essence of Nizami’s work and now makes it easily available to a wider readership.

Not many people know that the busy and bustling capital city of Delhi and its surroundings have a long past, going back thousands of years. Prehistoric stone tools have surfaced here and many ancient remains have been found, sometimes accidentally by farmers tilling their fields, and at other times by archaeologists carrying out systematic excavations. A mound one passes everyday or a narrow strip of stream tells a story of ancient times. Centuries of history coexist with metro stations and plush cars. The readings in this book give us glimpses of the lives of people who lived in the Delhi area over the centuries, and how these details have been pieced together by historians. It brings into focus the importance of the historian’s method and the sources of information found in ancient texts, archaeology and even legends and folklore, sometimes hanging on the thread of a slender historical fact. The editor of the volume, points to the urgency of further exploration and documentation to fill in the still all-too-meagre details of Delhi’s ancient history. However, she ends on a note of caution, bordering on alarm, when she points out that invaluable evidence of the city’s past is being extensively destroyed due to quarrying and the construction of new roads and buildings. Such activities are an integral part of the modernization of a living city but the balance between modernization and the preservation of ancient remains is indeed very fragile and needs to be maintained from an informed and realistic perspective. This collection of essays has been put together by a teacher for students of history, but will also be of enormous value to a large number of other interested readers. Upinder Singhis Professor of history at the University of Delhi.

This Is An Authoritative Attempt At A Recons¬Truction Of The Historical Past Of Haryana. It Is The First Systematic And Analytical Study Of The Political Developments In Haryana From The Third Battle Of Panipat In 1761 To The Formation Of A New State Of Haryana In 1966.The Work Examines The Nature Of Political Ideas, Institutions And The Course Of Struggle Of The People Of Haryana In A Historical Perspective. It Analyses The Character Of The Administration Of Haryana Under Various Types Of Government, I.E., The Local Chiefs, The East-India Company And The British Crown.Besides, Critically Examining The Nature And Character Of Mutual Rivalries And Conflicts Of The Local Chiefs, The Work Analyses The Factors And Forces Leading To The Changing Attitude And Policy Of The British Residents And The Governor-Generals Of India. It Also Answers Such Pertinent Questions As To Why This Region Could Not Gain A Separate Political And Administrative Identity Earlier, And Was Tagged To Delhi (1803), North-Western Provinces (1834) Or The Punjab (1858).This Work Meticulously Describes The Nature And Frequently Changing Masters Of The Region, The Wider Impact Of The 1857 Upri¬Sings, The Socio-Religious Reform Movements Of The Nineteenth Century, The Emergence Of The Political Consciousness, The Nature And Course Of The National Movement In The Region Upto The Partition Of India In 1947 And Finally The Demand And Formation Of A New Separate State In 1966.This Book Will Be Of Immense Interest To The General Reader As Well As Scholars And Also Serve As A Useful Reference On The National And Political History Of India.

Through an analysis both broad and deep of primary and secondary sources, ethnography, iconography and current performance practice, this enquiry undertakes a critical approach to the history of kathak dance and presents new data about hereditary performing artists, gendered contexts and practices, and postcolonial cultural reclamation. The account that emerges places kathak and the Kathaks firmly into the living context of North Indian performing arts.

This volume seeks to unravel and contextualize the so-called dichotomy of ‘old’ and ‘new’ India and what binds them together. To understand this complex process, it attempts to apply a long-term historical perspective, a different conception of the economy and cross-disciplinary approaches. The exceptional feature of this volume is the large historical canvas of essays and its sensitivity to the regional dimension in a country as large and diverse as India. They deal with issues ranging from land and agriculture, entrepreneurship, industry and demographic trends to a critical anatomy of modern Indian economic historiography. Together these essays contribute in providing significantly new and enriching insights into the complex process of transition from colonial to post-colonial economic development. There has been a conscious effort in most cases to capture the influence of the colonial economic structures and processes in shaping the trajectory of growth and development in the post-independence period. Drawing upon a large amount of extremely rich and varied data and information on the socio-economic trends, the book is lucid, well-crafted and reader-friendly.

This book reconstructs the history of Delhi from the stone age to the time of the Rajputs. The narrative is accompanied with several maps, photographs, and illustrations. This second edition updatesthe research on the subject and underlines the need for new perspectives.

A sprawling megacity of nearly twenty million people, Delhi has forgotten its ecological history, a key part of which is the Ridge, often referred to as Delhi's 'green lung'. At various points, Delhi has been a crucial hub of politics, warfare, trade and religious expansion on regional and global levels. Placing Delhi's environment at the front and centre of its unique history, the book tells the tale of the Ridge, which resonates far beyond the boundaries of India's capital. The Ridge offers a crucial vantage point for viewing these historical and geographical interconnections. Its trees can't be separated from the stones below them, nor the cities that rose and fell around them. Only with this perspective does a clear picture of the Ridge - and Delhi as a whole - emerge.