As a historian, Jadunath Sarkar (1870-1958) is a study in himself. This re-issue of his classic work fulfils a demand from all students and researchers of Indian history and society.
Shivaji and his times is much more than a biography of the great Maratha leader. It deals with the tangled web of Deccan history in the seventeenth century, describes Shivaji’s relations with the Mughals, provides a detailed knowledge of the internal affairs of the Mughal Empire at the period of its decline, and also analyses Shivaji’s relations with the English and Portuguese. The book concludes with a description of Maratha government, institutions and policy in the seventeenth century, and of Shivaji’s achievements, character and place in history.
Some original reviews of Shivaji and his times:
“The reputation of Professor Jadunath Sarkar as a sound critical historian ... will be confirmed and extended by his new volume on Shivaji ... Prof. Sarkar’s bold and deliberately provocative book merits the closest study.”
- Vincent A. Smith
“All his books are good; but perhaps the best of them is the Life and Times of Shivaji. It is full of research, and gives a striking picture of the great event—the birth and development of the Maratha nation.”
- H. Beveridge