This collection of essays represents the best of S. Nurul Hasan's pioneering work in the field of medieval Indian history. It is a comprehensive record of his diverse and constantly evolving studies. His confrontation of the contentious issue of national identity, and the role which nationalism has played in distorting historical studies of India, is typically thought provoking. Professor Satish Chandra, a leading historian in the field of medieval Indian studies, offers new insights into Hasan's personality, achievements and monumental contribution to medieval Indian scholarship.

Introduction 1. Part 1: The Historian's TaskIndian History:A Synoptic View 2. Medieval Indian History: Danger of Communal Interpretation and the Need for Reconsidering Priorities 3. Perspective on regional History: Medieval Punjab 4. Value and Importance of Urban History 5. Historians and Business Communities 6. Part 2: State, Religion, and the Ruling ClassAspects of State and Religion in Medieval India 7. The'Mahzar' of Akbar's Reign 8. Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi and Mughal Politics 9. The Problem of Nationalities in Medieval India 10. New Light on the Relations of the Early Mughal Rulers with their Nobility 11. The The theory of the Nur Jahan 'Junta': A Critical Re-examination 12. Zaminders under the Mughals 13. Three Studies of the Zamindari System 14. Aspects of the Zamindari System in the Deccan (1695-1707) 15. Further Light on Zaminders under the Mughals: A Case Study of (Mirza) Raja Jai Singh under Shah Jahan 16. Part 3: Rural EconomyRevenue Administration of the Jagir of Sahsaram by Farid (Sher Shah) 17. The Pattern of Agricultural Production in the Territories of Amber (c.1650-1750) 18. Prices of Food Grains in the Territories of Amber(c.1650-1750) 19. Agra 20. The Morphology of a Medieval Indian City: A Case Study of Shajahanabad in the 18th and Early 19th Centuries 21. Thoughts on Agrarian RElations 22. Part 4: Traces from the PastThe Causes and Effects of the Afghan Invasions of India in the 18th Century: A Soviet Interpretation 23. Lataif-i-Quddusi: A Contemporary Afghan Source for the Study of afghan-Mughal Conflict 24. Abul Fazl 25. Nigar nama-i-Munshi: A Valuable Collection of Documents of Aurangzeb's Reign 26. The du Jardin Papers: A Valuable Source for the Economic History of Northern India 1778-1787

The late S. Nurul Hasan , Professor of History; Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Asiatic Society; Governor of West Bengal and Orissa; Union Minister for Education, Social Welfare and Culture