The Dynamics of a Rural Society- A Study of the Economic Structure in Bengal Villages (An Old Book)

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When this book was published in 1957 it received a scathing review from Dr. D. F. Pocock, published in the monthly mouthpiece entitled Man of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. Dr. Pocock characterised the book as an example of conjectural history posed as a scientific study. At about the same time Professor D. D. Kosambi, the eminent Indologist cum mathematician, wrote to me, congratulating me for writing this book in which the past and the present have been so well blended to depict the dynamics of a rural society.

Subject to such extreme views the book sold out in due course. Some notable sociologists drew attention to the wealth of historical and contemporary information it contains; for example Professor D. N. Dhanagare of Western India. Reciprocating the view, Professor Hetukar Jha of Patna University claimed it to be the first book in India on Historical Sociology.

There were also others who wrote to me to have the book republished because they failed to secure the first edition; such as, Professor D. Banerjee of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. In this situation a second edition of the book will be timely for those who have missed the first, as also the later generations of social scientists-especially, the sociologists and anthropologists.