Manohar Publishers and Distributors

27 August, 2012

In the Days of Cages

By- Aparna Lanjewar Bose

A dazzling new collection of poems by a remarkably gifted poet whose vision penetrates to unravel, expose and cauterize the stereotypes in a uniquely individualistic style. Rejecting formalism of elites these verses appear disarmingly simple, direct but too often profound and significantly complex to communicate.

Without the danger of stunning nostalgia there is resistance and reflection and a discernible sociopolitical consciousness besides a regular reproach of the self whose seemingly endless search for belonging, and meaning and sanity collides with a disjointed, base, absurd and insensitive world.

Tender, confessional, joyous, painful, disturbing, rebellious and provocative, the poems in this volume celebrate humanity and womanhood in all its complexities.

Aparna Lanjewar Bose (b. 1971) is a trilingual writer, poet, translator and activist. She teaches English Literature at the Postgraduate teaching department of University of Mumbai and resides in Mumbai.

ISBN 978-81-7304-848-8 2010 144p. Rs.250/ pounds 35

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The Forgotten Mughals: A History of the Later Emperors of the House of Babar (1707-1857)

By- G.S. Cheema

A hundred and fifty years lie between the death of Aurangzeb and the final extinction of the Mughal empire. In its first hundred and fifty years the empire had seen six rulers, but during the next century and a half the Qila-i-Mualla would witness the passage of as many as eleven emperors – if one leaves out the six or seven failed pretenders. It was a period of violence and disorder, with armies constantly on the march across a landscape of increasing misery, impoverishment, and desolation. The Forgotten Mughals is the story of these largely pageant emperors with their increasingly ineffectual ministers, and their gradual decline into irrelevance while younger and more powerful forces, both Indian and foreign, grappled with each other for the mastery of Hindostan.

The landmark events like the wars of succession, the dictatorship of the Syed brothers, the Nadir Shahi and Durrani invasions with their attendant horrors, the bloodbath of Panipat and the final sack of Delhi in 1857 are all covered in detail. The book’s strength lies in its anecdotal details, like that of young Muhammad Shah, hiding behind the ample skirts of the formidable Sadr un-Nissa, superintendent of the harem, and of Bidar Dil cowering in a closet, while the emissaries of Qutb-ul-Mulk tried, in vain, to convince his women that they had, in fact, come to call him to the throne. And who will believe today that, as part of the ‘retributive justice’ of the British, for nearly twenty years the Zinat masjid in Daryaganj was used as a bakery, and that the basement of the Fatehpuri mosque was sold to Seth Chuna Mall?

G.S. Cheema was born in Ranchi and is presently a senior civil servant belonging to the Punjab cadre of the Indian Administrative Service which he joined in 1972. He lives in Chandigarh.

ISBN 81-7304-601-8 2012 552p. Rs.450/ pounds 27.5

Europe in Transition: From Feudalism to Industrialization

By- Arvind Sinha

The developments in Europe from the late-fifteenth till the end of the eighteenth century represented a crucial phase in the emergence of the modern world. Scholars refer to this period as ‘early modern’ and this expression is often associated with ‘the rise of the modern west’.

The pace of change gained momentum during this period undermining the roots of the feudal society. The economic transformation pushed Europe towards capitalism. The forces of change could be located in the diverse spheres of human activities although the scale of change varied from one region to another. The transformation of local economies into the larger European market economy, the geographical discoveries and the new sea routes resulted in the creation of colonial empires based on new forms of exploitation.

The rise of nation-states under absolute rulers replaced the decentralized feudal structure. Discoveries in arts and sciences and the religious movements opened up new mental horizons which gave birth to new social attitudes, cultural patterns and scientific outlook. At the same time, the negative trends during this period such as the rise of slave trade, new forms of exploitation and a wild craze for witch-hunting are also included in the discussion.

This book adopts an interpretive approach and tries to explain what led to the dislocation of centuries-old social order and the emergence of new social classes. This volume is required reading for students of Modern/European history and culture.

Arvind Sinha is an Associate Professor at the Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He has Taught European History to Graduate and Post-Graduate students in Delhi University. He was an associate in Eurindia Project (an EC project), from 2003 and a Fellow at Nehru Memorial Museum & Library from 2005.

ISBN 978-81-7304-843-2 2010 782p. Rs.995/ Pounds 95

The Autobiography of Indulal Yagnik (Set)

Volume 1: Part One: Life’s Development | Part Two: New Life in Gujarat

Volume 2: Part One: Imprisonments | Part Two: Life’s Struggle

Volume 3: Part One: Peasant Stories | Part Two: Last Streams

By- Devavrat N. Pathak, Howard Spodek and John R. Wood (Translators)

Indulal Yagnik’s Autobiography is an indispensable key to understanding: modern Gujarat and many of its leading personalities; the congress organization of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and Morarji Desai; grass root peasant and tribal movements and their clash with the Congress; international dimensions of the freedom struggle; the Mahagujarat movement for a separate Gujarat state. On a more personal level, it reveals a brilliant but ‘unstable’ soul searching for his place in an unsupportive family and a political world that he found stifling, but with an array of friends and causes which sustained him.

These volumes reveal Indulal’s evolution from a young man of the elite Nagar Brahmin caste exploring the byways of his hometown of Nadiad; winning a series of scholarships to study philosophy, science, and law; beginning a life-long commitment to journalism by establishing Navajivan ane Satya, and later turning it over to Gandhi and moving to Ahemedabad; losing out in political struggles with Patel and deserting the movement; taking up filmmaking in Bombay; spending five years in England and Europe spreading propaganda for – and sometimes against – the Congress; returning to India to organize peasants and tribals and finally undertaking the defining struggle of his later years, the campaign for a separate state for Gujarat. Indulal presents his inner struggles and his relationships with friends and colleagues with unusual candour. From its first publication, Indulal’s Autobiography was regarded as a classic of Gujarati literature, politics, and culture. Now English readers can share in its richness.

Devavrat N. Pathak (1920-2006) served as a Professor in and Chair of the School of Social Sciences, Gujarat University; Vice-Chancellor of Saurashtra University; and Director of the Gandhi Peace Research Centre of the Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad.

Howard Spodek is a Professor of History at Temple University, Philadelphia, USA.

John R. Wood is Professor Emeritus and former Director of the Centre for India and South Asia Research, University of British Columbia.

ISBN 978-81-7304-897-5 2011 1824p(set) Rs.2500/ pounds 275(set)

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26 August, 2012

The Other Sikhs: A View from Eastern India (Volume I)

By- Himadri Banerjee

The Sikhs are universally respectful and proud of their Gurus’ intimate contact with eastern India, representing the territories of Assam, Bengal and Orissa under British rule. It may be debated, however, whether the Gurus’ disciples are generally aware of how the Panthic message has been transmitted and perceived over the centuries in this part of the country. Their comparative lack of enthusiasm may be partly due to the bulky nature of these sources as well as the difficulty of having them together in a public library or any single private collection. These materials are in regional languages and carry a distinct local flavor, differing significantly from those of the manjha-malwa-doaba watershed. They suggest not only the spirit of plurality in Indian cultural traditions, but also Sikhism’s intimate link with it. Their identification and appreciation is likely to enrich our understanding of Sikhism in the wider context of the Indian unity and diversity.

The present study seeks to deal with some of these interesting issues recorded in three eastern Indian languages, namely, Assamese, Bengali and Oriya published over a century between the First Sikh War (1845) and the Partition of India (1947). In the process it outlines the history of the Sikhs and reveals how the message of Sikhism has been perceived in the context of different local issues by numerous eastern Indian authors.

Himadri Banerjee holds the Chair of Guru Nanak Professor of Indian History, Department of History, Jadavpur University, Kolkata. His

ISBN 81-7304-495-3 2003 280p. Rs.550/ pounds 19.99

The Mughal State and Culture 1556-1598: Selected Letters and Documents from Munshaat-i-Namakin

By- Ishtiyaq Ahmad Zilli

Insha collections compiled in India during the medieval period are an important source of information for the history of the medieval state and society. But scholars working in the area were severely handicapped in their attempts to use this potential source because properly edited texts of the majority of these collections were not available.

Munshaat-i-Namakin is one such Insha collection that was compiled during the last years of Akbar’s reign. It covers the period 1556 to 1598. Its compiler, Abul Qasim Namakin, was a nobleman of eminence and served under Akbar and Jahangir.

It is one of the largest collections dating from the Mughal period. The documents provide extremely valuable information on a wide range of subjects relating to the political, institutional, social, cultural, legal and even religious aspects of Akbar’s reign. Besides, it contains scores of appointment orders relating to different branches of the cnetral as well as provincial administration, providing specific information about the duties and functions of state officials. It also contains copies of important diplomatic correspondence some of which are not available anywhere else.

Insha was a popular branch of literature during the medieval period. in addition to those who were interested in it as a matter of taste, it was an essential reference tool for those who aspired to enter government service. Insha collections, which contained specimen documents and drafts for various occasions served as guides for acquiring the necessary skill in the art of drafting, which was an important requirement for government servants.

Apparently many of the documents in the collection were received by the compiler when he was a Mughal officer working in different capacities. Selections from the writings of other distinguished writers have also been included. Munshaat-i-Namakin is a unique source of history as well as a book of great literary interest for it contains the only available specimen, of a number of documents for various categories.

Ishtiyaq Ahmad Zilli retired as Professor of History, Aligarh Mulsim University. His academic work relates to mainly Sufism and Indo-Persian hitoriography.

ISBN 81-7304-738-3 2007 540p. Rs.1350/ Pounds 70

The Impact of Armed Conflicts on Women in South Asia

By- Ava Darshan Shreshta and Rita Thapa (eds)

Published in association with Regional Centre for Strategic Studies, Colombo

The book exposes the different ways in which violent conflicts increase patriarchal controls on women and the impact of militarization on women and men, on masculinities and femininities. In all the societies and communities under discussion in the five countries, the authors point to the different ways in which women react and respond to the conflict. They become victims of various acts of repression and abuse. The book exposes that even armed militant women choose to respond to violence with violence. On the other side militants’ mothers respond to violence with non-violent means of political agitation.

The authors articulate a general position on the need to redefine democracy within the South Asian context, in a way which recognizes minority rights and acknowledges the nature of all South Asian states as multicultural and multinational. Within this overarching framework,
the authors see women’s involvement in militancy and in peace building as enabling a new construction of democracy, human rights and citizenship. The need for a reconceptualization of security to mean human security and peace with justice, rights and equality is both
advocated and emphasized.

In this process, the authors address the need to begin to deconstruct the exercise of masculinist power in its different forms, especially as played out in war and conflict.

Ava Darshan Shreshta (PhD) is working as a Social Development/General Consultant in Nepal. She has worked for the government, United Nations agencies, bilateral agencies and several donors including the International Non-Governmental Organizations for the past two decades. She is also affiliated to many NGOs. Her research work primarily focuses on poverty, reproductive health, micro credit, employment and empowerment of women. More recently she has been researching on conflict/insurgency and its impact on women.

A feminist activist, Rita Thapa is globally recognized for her ground-breaking work in
founding Tewa, the Nepal Women’s Fund. Currently she is engaged in peace-building work primarily through ‘Nagarik Aawaz’ which she helped found in 2001. Rita is former chair of the Board of the Global Fund for Women and is a current board member of the Urgent Action Fund.

ISBN 81-7304-724-3 2007 228p. Rs.575/ pounds 40