Author: D N Jha
Publisher: Manohar
Year: 2002
Language: English
Pages: 539
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8173044732
Description
This volume brings together a vast mass of empirical data to show the fallacy of the neo-colonialist perception of early Indian society as Static.
A collection of articles by eminent historians, with an unquestionable grasp of the primary sources, the work underlines the heuristic value of the feudal construction for a meaningful understanding of historical processes at work in early medieval India.
The editor's introduction convincingly refutes the arguments of the feudal model by drawing comparable material from European as well as Asian countries, and adds new dimension to the feudalism debate by relating it to developments in the field of religion, literature and art.
The book is divided into three parts. The first part deals with the problems of the transition from prefeudal to feudal society and the second with the nature of the state shaped largely by the growth of new classes as a result of agrarian changes, sluggish trade and the limited role of money in society. The third part explores the linkage between the socioeconomic changes and the ideological trends noticed in early medieval times.
THE EDITOR:
DWIJENDRA NARAYAN JHA is currently professor of History at the University of Delhi. Delhi.