The Practice of History in India

This essential guide to historical methodology offers a critical examination of how history is practiced in contemporary India, challenging traditional approaches while embracing emerging methods like oral and visual history. Anirudh Deshpande presents seven thought-provoking essays that question long-standing theories and practices, making this work particularly relevant for understanding the evolving landscape of Indian historiography. The book serves as both a critique and a constructive framework for reimagining how we document and interpret India's complex past.

What sets this work apart is its direct engagement with the methodological debates shaping historical practice today, providing students with the tools to navigate competing approaches to India's narrative. Undergraduate and graduate students will find this indispensable for developing their own historical methodology, while educators will appreciate its pedagogical value in classroom discussions about source evaluation and interpretation. This isn't just another history text—it's a vital conversation about how we construct historical knowledge that will fundamentally shape how readers approach the study of India's past.