This volume re-examines medieval South Asia by placing memory at the centre of political and spatial processes. It challenges monolithic narratives of state formation and imperial dominance by foregrounding the dynamic interplay between power, geography and cultural representation across diverse regional contexts. The essays investigate how authority is negotiated, contested, and remembered through practices shaped by frontier ecologies, regional political systems and shifting hegemonies.

Drawing on a wide range of sources, including travelogues, maritime records, vernacular knowledge systems and regional archives, the volume reconstructs complex historical landscapes. It demonstrates how mobility, environmental adaptation, and localized political cultures shape distinct articulations of power, from the Himalayan corridors to the Konkan coast, and from Awadh's courtly arenas to Ahom naval strategies.

The contributions further challenge Eurocentric frameworks by centering indigenous epistemologies and regional historiographies. By decentering imperial perspectives and emphasizing regional formations, the volume presents medieval South Asia as a mosaic of interconnected yet autonomous worlds. It highlights memory as an active force that shapes political legitimacy and cultural meaning.

Rich in methodological innovation and empirical depth, this volume offers a significant contribution to the historiography of medieval South Asia. The book is of immense value to scholars, researchers, and students of history, archaeology, cultural studies and South Asian studies.

This volume primarily appeals to postgraduate students, researchers and academics in history, particularly those working on South Asia, as well as scholars in related fields such as political anthropology, historical geography and comparative history. It is also for readers interested in historiography, memory studies and non-Eurocentric approaches to studying power, space and cultural representation.

Combines interdisciplinary approaches using diverse sources, including travelogues, vernacular traditions and archives Offers wide geographical coverage with detailed case studies across varied ecological and cultural zones Decenters empire-centric narratives by foregrounding localized political formations and regional power dynamics

Autorentext

Prof. Umesh Ashok Kadam, Currently Professor at CHS, SSS, JNU, New Delhi, is as Professor of Medieval Indian History and Early Modern History at the Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi & Former, Member Secretary, Council of Historical Research, New Delhi & Member, of many apex governing bodies with a 26 years long teaching and research experience at various universities at the Post Graduate level.

He specializes in History of Deccan and Western India, History of the Marathas and European powers, Socio-economic and Cultural History of the Deccan, Trade and Commerce in the 17th and 18th century Konkan coast, Bhakti movement 10th to 17th century, Maritime History of India with special reference to Silk Routes, Urbanization in the Medieval Maratha country. Since last two decades he has been visiting universities in Netherlands, France, Portugal and United Kingdoms to promote advanced research on History of Deccan.

Inhalt

Chapter 1. Introduction.- Chapter 2. 'Fragile Frontiers: The Repercussions of Scarcity in Medieval India'.- Chapter 3. 'Politics under Matriliny: Jaintia and Khasi Syiems and the Making of Authority, 14th to18th centuries'.- Chapter 4. Violence, Robbery and Order: Reinterpreting 'Lawlessness' in Travelogues - Rajasthan 1550-1800 CE through local lenses.- Chapter 5. 'Hydraulic Warfare: Ahom Naval Tactics in the 17th Century'.- Chapter 6. Negotiating Hegemony: Clan Rivalries and Corrosion of the Maratha Power in the Post-Panipat Northern India (17611818).- Chapter 7. From Coromandel to Ligor: Maritime Commerce and the Transmission of Buddhist Heritage in the Bay of Bengal, 14th18th Century.- Chapter 8. 'The Geopolitical Transition of Medieval Goa from 13th to 15th Centuries'.- Chapter 9. Himalayan Corridors: Mobility and Connectivity in Uttarakhand (15th-18th Centuries.- Chapter 10. 'At the Crossroads of Politics and Domesticity: Begums of Awadh and their Eunuchs in the Power Struggles of 18th century Awadh'.- Chapter 11. Southern Konkan Coast through European Eyes: Interaction, Perception and Impact in the 17th and 18th Centuries.- Chapter 12. Beyond Eurocentric Medievalism: Chennai's History through Local Tamil Epistemologies, 14th to 17th centuries'.- Chapter 13. Caste, Community, and Mobilization: Maratha Soldiery during the 17th and 18th Centuries'.- Chapter 14. Centering the Margins, Decentering the 'Centre'- A Dynamic History of the Western Himalayas (c. 14th Century- 18th Century CE).- Chapter 15. Remembering the Court: The Bahida of Maharana Bheem Singh, and The Textures of Art, Memory and History in Udaipur 18 CE.- Chapter 16. Epilogue.