This volume brings together, for the first time, several of Professor Habib's essays, representing three decades of scholarship and providing an insightful interpretation of the main currents in Indian history from the standpoint of Marxist historiography. The collection examines the role played by the peasantry and caste in Indian history; explores the forms of class struggle and the stage of Indian economic development in Mughal India; analyses the impact of colonialism on the Indian economy; and chronicles the changes in Marx's perception of India. These painstakingly researched and erudite essays form a volume that is indispensable for scholars and students of Indian history.

Irfan Habib is a professor at the Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh and a former chairman of the Indian Council for Historical Research. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2005.

Anthem South Asian Studies

Preface; Acknowledgements; Problems of Marxist Historiography; Marx's Perception of India; The Social Distribution of Landed Property in Pre-British India: A Historical Survey; The Peasant in Indian History; Caste in Indian History; Potentialities of Capitalistic Development in the Economy of Mughal India; Processes of Accumulation in Pre-Colonial and Colonial India; Colonization of the Indian Economy 1757-1900; Studying a Colonial Economy - Without Perceiving Colonialism; The Economic History of Medieval India: A Survey