"This study concentrates on the politics of history-writing, offering a nuanced account of how historical thinking and the discipline of history began to assume importance in colonial and independent India. Along with discussions of the role of historians in the dispute over the now-destroyed Babri Masjid and the so-called 'saffronization' of history textbooks, the book also engages with Subaltern Studies, and provides insights into iconic debates over Shivaji, Aurangzeb, beef-eating, and the relationship between history and the nation state." "With a new Postscript that takes into account recent developments, this highly readable account of the rise of history will appeal to students and scholars of postcolonial and culture studies, historians, social scientists, and informed general readers interested in the role of history in the public domain."--BOOK JACKET.