SUBMITTED TO:

Dr. Zafar Muhiyuddin

SUBMITTED BY:
Muhammad Arsalan Mughal
Roll No. 09
M.Phil. history 1st semester

Assignment: Book Review

DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY

UNIVERSITY OF SARGODHA
 India in the Persianate Age, i.e. 1000–1765, an ambitious, magisterial and monumental book,
written in affable language and thoroughly-grounded in the latest research, seeks to provide not
just a survey of the period, but a re-evaluation of it from the point of view of a historian who
does not accept the conventional wisdom and finds what Eaton calls the sometimes mistaken
“hidden assumptions” behind views of India during this fascinating and exciting period. Of
particular iinterest to interested readers, specialists, and non-specialists is Eaton’s relation and
analysis of medieval (pre-Mughal) Indian history.

Eaton begins this survey in the year 1000 CE, describing the political culture of both the Sanskrit
and the Persianate worlds, moving through the age of the Ghurids in North India and the rise of
the Delhi Sultanate, eventually ending with the Mughals, all presented in admirably readable and
accessible language, and far from dry chronicle history.

In this book, the Eaton has also elaborated the various Delhi sultanate dynasties. He has also
elaborated the main reasons behind the tremendous power of Delhi sultanate. The Eaton also
illustrate the various dynasties of Delhi sultanate. The Eaton has also elaborated the different
religious and ethical moments in India.

Different dynasties of Delhi sultanate

Slave

Khilji

Tughlaq

Sayyid

Lodhi

In this book Eaton has elaborated how the Muslim rulers accommodated the non-Muslims.
In this book he has also written and elaborated the Sufis movement in India, role they played,
and has also illustrated and explained and explored the different political changes in India.

This book contains a great deal of material which may not be well-known even to readers with a
sound and robust knowledge of Indian history. Each era of Indian history had a number of
separate sultanates, which proliferated particularly between the years 1200-1400 until the
Tughlaq Empire, centered in Delhi, went into decline. In 1400, much of these areas fell under the
rule of Timor (1336-1405), a great warrior of Turkic extraction, who came from a relatively
obscure family of nomads in the area of Samarkand. Eaton calls Timor “one of history’s most
astonishing figures

Timor’s invasion caused the Delhi Sultanate to eventually fragment into areas ruled by local
governors who had declared their independence from the Tughlaq rulers. In the Deccan and the
South some of these states became very powerful; for example, Vijayanagar evolved into empire
status, and “managed to limp along well into the seventeenth century” even after it had become
weakened by the activities of its vassal states, many of which did not easily accept their inferior
status.

In 1494 Babar's father died in an accident and Babar at the young age of 11 year succeeded
Fergana. This was in fact critical situation for him as tamarind princes were busy fighting one
another. He too made a bid to conquer Samarqand from his uncle. He won the city twice but lost
it in no time on both the occasions. In 1504 A.D Babar was able to cross the snowy Hindu Kush
mountains and capture Kabul from the ruling dynasty who were forced to retreat to Kandahar.

With this move he gained a new Kingdom reestablish his fortunes and would remain its ruler
until 1526. Like the earlier invaders of Central Asia Babar was attracted to India because of it’s
enormous wealth and weak rulers. Baber also annexed some areas of Punjab. India was the land
of gold and riches. Barber's ancestors. Timor not only plundered and ransacked Delhi but he also
forced and compelled the renowned architects and partisan to accompany him.

These areas remained in the possession of Timor successors for several generations. When
Baber conquered Afghanistan he felt that he had legitimate right to these areas. Then Babar left
for Kabul after keeping a small contingent at Lahore and Sialkot. After Babur's departure Daulat
Khan Lodhi came back from the hills and conquered Sultanpur Sialkot and Depalpur. Babur
made his fifth expedition in 1525 and defeated Daulat Khan, his son begged apology for their
misconduct. A war between Ibrahim Lodhi and Barber became was inevitable. Both the forces
went to Panipat to test their luck. But in comparison to Lodhi army that of Babur was much less
in number but they were well trained and well-equipped.

Nasir Ud Din Muhammad Humayun the eldest son of Babur was born at Kabul on 6 March
1508. He was the only son of his mother Maham Sultana. Humayun was given proper education
and had experience of fighting and administration before his accession. Babar nominated him as
his successor before his death. Humayun ascended the throne on 30 December 1530 AD without
a contest four days after the death of Babur. When Humayun ascended the throne of the Mughal
Empire several of his brothers revolted against him. His brother Khalil Mirza supported
Humayun but was assassinated. While Humayun needed help from his brothers but they rather
become indifferent towards him or revolted against him. Humayun inherited an unstable and
bankrupt empire from his father. Humayun defeated the rivals in 1532. Mahmud Lodhi fled from
the battle but lost all his prestige among the Afghans and participated no more in politics.
Humayun wasted nearly one and half year at Agra and spent his money in the construction of
new city in Delhi call the Dinpanah. Bahadur Shah the ruler of Gujarat had entered into treaties
with some states of South India, conquered Malwa in 1531 AD captured the fort of raisin in 1532
AD. The two armies remained there facing each other for 3 months, negotiations for peace were
carried on but nothing came out of them. The Mughal word completely surprised and the entire
army was destroyed. Humayun just saved his life by plunging into the river Ganga in Battle of
Chausa in 1539 AD. On 17 may 1540 AD when the Mughal were shifting themselves to the
higher plan Sher Shah attacked them. The Mughals fought valiantly but were defeated. Humayun
again fled away in the battle of Bigram. According to Richard M Eaton handing over the North
Western province to Kamran, neglect of finances of the state, losing the golden opportunity of
getting sympathy of the Rajput’s, neglect of the affair of Gujarat and Malwa after their conquest,
failure to suppress Sher Shah before he could become formidable, wrong assessment of military
situation and incapacity to take immediate decisions etc constituted causes of his failure against
Sher Shah.

One of the advantages of Eaton’s book is that he moves beyond the Great Mughals into the 18th
century, which sometimes does not get the treatment it deserves, at least from the Indian point of
view, because it was that century which saw the rise of the East India Company as a political
player after the emperor Farrukh Siyar granted it extended trading rights in 1717. Eaton
considers the eighteenth century as a period of transition; after Aurangzeb passed from the scene,
his successors became weaker and weaker, and as well as what Eaton calls “emerging identities”
of Muslims in Bengal and the Punjab, all leading to “early modern globalization.