The four major essays collected in this volume were written Marxist scholars who joined the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta shortly after its formation in 1973. Barun De, center director, describes their dissatisfaction with the academic social sciences and their desire "to build connections between interpretation and action, striving for a praxis which neither emulation of Western intellect and language nor indigenous performance alone has ever wholly been able to fulfill" (p.xii). The authors have intended history that is relevant to contemporary issues, multidisciplinary, logically valid in historical explanation, and objective in its evaluation of India's past.