The Eighteenth Century in IndiaSeema Alavi The eighteenth century in India was an important period of transition and remains the subject of continuing debate among scholars of late medieval and modern Indian history. The two main debates on the eighteenth century are (1) the nature of transition from a centralized Mughal polity to the emergence of regional confederations, and (2) the nature of the transformation brought about by the increasing role of the English East India Company in the economic, commercial, and financial life of the subcontinent. The themes addressed are: the nature of Mughal polity; the decline of the Mughal empire; 'economic prosperity versus the Dark Ages' thesis; and 'the continuity versus change' thesis. This volume presents extracts and selections from the key interventions in the historiographical debates, along with an introduction and a bibliography, which provide a concise and useful survey of the field for the benefit of students. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
The Eighteenth Century in | 57 |
Aspects of Agrarian Uprisings in | 84 |
Copyright | |
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able administration advances agrarian agricultural areas argued Asia Asian Awadh Banaras Bayly became Bengal British Calcutta Cambridge capital caste cent central centre cloth collection colonial communities Company's consequence continued created crisis culture debate decline Delhi demand district Dutch early East India Company economic effectively eighteenth century emergence empire English established European evidence expansion exports fiscal force formation groups growth Habib hand historians History imperial important increase indigenous interests investment IOLR Khan labour land late later London Maratha merchants military monopoly Mughal nineteenth north India noted Office opium origins peasants period Persian political position production profits province Raja Rajput recent Records region relations Report revenue rise role rule Rulers social society South structure studies suggests towns trade transition Wazir weavers zamindars