Social Formations in the Ancient World

This book encapsulates a long period of history of human progress by highlighting crucial social, economic, and cultural dynamics. It presents recent historiography and new analytical tools used to analyse multi-dimensional themes involved in social formations in different parts of the world. This is a reader-friendly book with simple and lucid language and fulfils the pressing needs of students studying the course on Social Formations and Cultural Patterns of the ancient and medieval world at various universities across the world. The summary, key words, and representative questions at the end of each chapter would assist in revision and a better understanding of the issues dealt with therein. A detailed chapter-end reference would enable and motivate the readers to engage in further studies for a better understanding of the themes. This book will be of interest to students, researchers, and academics in the area of history - ancient and medieval world history, in particular, and anthropology. It will also be an interesting read for general readers interested in knowing about the ancient and medieval world.

Rakesh Kumar has obtained an MPhil and PhD in History from Delhi University, India. His area of specialisation is medieval Indian history, but his interest area goes beyond to cover studies dealing with the ancient and medieval world. He has written on several themes related to medieval Indian history such as 'Nature of the Mughal State', 'Currency System during the Mughal Age', 'Art of Printing and Painting of Cloth during the Mughal Period', 'Ghalib's Contribution towards Urdu Literature', 'Indo-Persian Literature-Works of Amir Khusrau', 'Labourers and Artisans in Seventeenth Century Ahmadabad' to mention a few. His passion for teaching and caring for students has meant that most of his publications have been aimed towards benefitting the students. Present work is a move in a similar direction with a difference that while his earlier publications had readership primarily among students at Delhi University, this book, it is hoped, would benefit students and general readers at the pan-Indian and global level. His devotion towards teaching has earned him the 'Teaching Excellence Award' conferred by the University of Delhi on its Foundation Day, 1 May 2014. Dr Kumar's MPhil dissertation is on 'Labourers and Artisans in the City of Agra (16th-17th Centuries)' and his PhD thesis is titled 'Towns, Bazars, and the Working Population in the Ahmadabad Region during the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries'.

1. Evolution of Humans; Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Cultures 2. The Neolithic Cultures: Food Production and Animal Husbandry in Asia and Europe 3. Bronze Age Civilisations- I (Mesopotamia And Egypt) 4. Bronze Age Civilisations-II (Shang and Minoan) 5. Nomadism in Central and West Asia: Advent of Iron and its Implications 6. Ancient Greece