The Eighteenth Century in India

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.