Social and Cultural History of

Muslim India
Book Review of the book India
in the Persianate Age: 1000 -
1765 by Richard M.Eaton
“India in the Persianate Age,
1000-1765”, by Richard
M.Eaton;
Published by: Penguin
Random House, Total
Chapters: 08,
Category of Book ; History

Introduction to Author;
Richard M.Eaton is a professor of history at the University of Arizona and the author of several
groundbreaking book’s on India before 1800, including “ The Classic , The Rise of Islam and Bengal
frontier”. For the completion of this book he visit different areas to formulate 800 years long history, He
collect chronicles and texts from different sources.

It describes the disappearance of Buddhist, appearance of sikh religion and the growth of Muslim
religion. This book also stress the South Asia's contract with other nations. This contraction was
essentially a self – generated cultural and civilization developments with the help of Iranian, Turk’s and
Persians which inaugurated as a “Muslim Conquest of India”. This reading consider the Ghaznavids as
“Lord of Horses” and Ghurid's and Rajput’s as “ Establisher of Delhi Sultanate”. Ghurid’s were consider
as predecessors and Ghaznavids as identification of religion. This book describes ancient to medieval age
, medieval to British age and ways towards modernity.

Advent of Islam was a transformative moment of Indian History. Muslims located their glory in the past
of India. Indian Medieval History become a political football because it describes the Hindu and Muslim
nationalists, separatists, religion, event, Kings, battles, traditions literature, architecture and art.

It’s main feature is difference of Sanskrit and Persians context. Sanskrit survive from 4 to 14 th century
from kandhar to Singapore which explains rule of Grammar, style of kingship, Rajandra Chola raid's and
actions and political culture on the base of inter-state politics which describes surrounding of capital by
friends and enemies and India across Bengal and South East Asia. As contrast Persian embraced West,
Central and South Asia by ethnic and religious background like the term “Sultan” was detached from
ethnicity and religion. Idea of Justice is also centralized to Persian political thought. Ghaznavids were a
great example of personate age. This book also describes the Indian division into dynastic houses and
sovereign rule over sovereign territory and temples as political institutions.

This book describes that Ghaznavids were remember as Trushkas (Turk’s) which define the Sunni-Islam,
appointment of Hindu General in army, Shrines of Suffi Sheikh’s and nomadic and semi nomadic society.
They were the geostrategic forces driving their rule in North India. This book also explains their currency
( silver melted coins) Salaried Bureaucracy (Iqtas) Military slaves and writer’s.

He explain Ghurid’s conquest of North India. Firstly Sultan Ghiyath-al-Din rule and culture heart
consisting of shops and households. Secondly Military and political operation of Muhammad Ghurid’s in
North India and destruction of temples and construction of mosques. Thirdly he explains Conquest of
Lahore, Delhi and Sind by Qutab-Din-Aibek and Nasir-ul- Din- Qubacha. In this era circle of sovereignty
was established.

After twelve century disputes between illtumish and Yildiz were become prominent. When Yildiz was
defeated by illtumish he put Punjab, Bengal , Sind and Rajasthan under Delhi Sultanate. The three
military victories:

 Ghurid’s in Afghanistan
 Mongol empire in eastern Asia
 Abbasid caliph in Baghdad

Made him the dominant power. In this Delhi become major city. After that Balban rule face tension
between slavery and hereditary monarchy which describes the Sanskrit discosure of world power
and moral authority. By explaining diffusion of Sultanate system he briefly explain the rule of
Muhammad Bin Tughlaq , Height of prestige, cultural florescence, poets ( Amir Khusrau) and
Khanqah's of Charismatic Suffi Sheikh’s under Ghurid’s, illtumish , Balban and respective successors.
He also explains the revenue system, loss of Bengal and Deccan, epic poetry, politics and invasion of
warlord Timur.
 While explaining Timur's invasion and legacy he discuss that Sultanate's sovereign territory emerge
as a politically uniform terrain followed by Tughlaq and the beginning of roots in Bengal and Deccan,
trade routes carrying caravan’s of war horses and military labor markets. He also explains social and
political status and alliance building and shifting at multiple levels which explains neither enemies
and nor allies are permanent.

He explained Deccan and South between fourteen and sixteen century by defining complex
relationship between Sufi’s and Royal court. Vijayanagara's war with Bahmani state and different
religious traditions which divide Deccan into a Muslim north and Hindu South which was know as
territorial separatism. After the establishment their respective kingdom they minted their coins and
the Sanskrit titles were replaced by the Persian.

While explaining consolidation of Mughal rule in fifteen century he explains Baber's and Akbar's
arrival. In this era Mughal Dynasty had become rooted in the heart of north india. He briefly explain
conflict of Sufism and Naqshbandi order. He explains the Babar’s entrance in Kabul and continuity of
Turco-Mongol legal and currency system and Akbar’s alliance with Rajputs. In Jahangir and shah
Jahan reign he describes their reign as return to an Islamic political culture, growth of emperor,
distribution of wealth among Iranians, Turk’s, Afghan's, Indian Muslims and Rajputs. He describes
the political culture, music, Justice, comic entities, painting and self – perceptions and sending of
armies for occupying Timur’s territories.

This book discuss the alamgir's remarkable courage, contributions to battlefield and commitment to
administration and his engagement in wars and checks on army.

Eighteenth century transition describes the Indian local power, cash flow towards governor's, labor
markets, growth of agricultural raw material and system of Madrassas. This book explains the causes
of European influence and decline of Muslim State.

Critical Analysis;
India in the Persianate Age: 1000-1765, by Richard M.Eaton is a fascinating History of India in the
age of persian influence, from about the year 1000 to Advent of British imperial control in 1765. This
period of history is vast and saw numerous changes to Indian politics, culture, religion and so forth
and Indian geopolitical reality. This book describes the history of Afghanistan and Persian invasions
in 11th century with first Ghaznavids and Ghurid’s invading northern India from Afghanistan. He also
describes that Advent of Islamic culture into India was not a “dark period”. It describes Delhi from
South to Deccan and invasion into Bengal and struggle of region for long period of time, due to
internal political issues. The successor state of Deccan – the Bahmani state, used many of trappings
on Delhi’s former ruling structures for after Delhi had retreated back North and crumbled south, the
vijayanagara state emergence, using a persianized ruling system. Eaton describes it as an age of log
lasting culture fusion and talk about the successful and failure attempts by Muslim ruler's which
deeply effects Indian culture.

According to my point of view, this book provide an unbiased opinion for it’s reader of India in
Persianate Age, which describes the Turkish power by invasions and political thought. He also
describes Sanskrit and Persianate political though by describing North India, Deccan and South in
the context of leading Kings, wars, culture, architecture and political views. He also take look at
Mughal empire by describing Babur's rule, Humayun's rule and Akbar’s early ten years and his
religious ideas. He mentioned the competence of political actors and struggle of Jahangir and Shah
Jahan in 16th century and display of geopolitical patterns and leading armies of 17th century. He
conclude his book while describing the decline of Mughal's , modern globalization, European
influence and modernity.