Allison Busch (1969–2019) was a pioneer in the field of classical Hindi studies. It is a field she helped to create in modern Western scholarship.

She possessed a profound knowledge of the languages themselves – Braj Bhasha in particular, but also Avadhi, Bhojpuri, Hindustani, Khari Boli, Sanskrit, and others. She also understood the importance of placing the artifacts of these languages in their aesthetic, social, and political contexts to make full sense of them. Her arguments on the Mughals’ role in sustaining – or even inaugurating – Braj Bhasha literary culture epitomise the innovative, even revolutionary, quality of her thinking.

Hindi and History brings together all of Allison Busch’s important research papers on these topics, along with nine reminiscences from students and colleagues. The volume is a testament to the extraordinary breadth and enduring value of her scholarly contribution, but more, it is a kind of Tuhfat al-Hind, or Gift for India – something she herself would have been delighted to offer had she been given the chance.