The Eighteenth Century in South Asia New Terrains (A Centennial Tribute to Pratul Chandra Gupta)

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The volume contains the proceedings of the seminar organised by the Asiatic Society to commemorate the birth centenary of Pratul Chandra Gupta. The seminar was held at the Society during the period 6 to 8 January, 2010. Regarding the thrust area of the seminar planned as a centennial tribute to Pratul Chandra Gupta. Professor Subhas Ranjan Chakraborty, editor of the volume, writes in his introduction that it "may best address aspects of what has sometimes been called the long eighteenth century. Since he spent most of his time reconstructing Maratha history in its decline, it was felt an accent on the regions in the overall context of the century would also be appropriate". Regarding the papers presented in the seminar, Professor Chakraborty further writes: "The essays seek to explore and bring into focus, as it were, new terrains and, at the same time, trace the processes of some aspects of the transition that the century presented. The essays touch upon a variety of themes-economic, social, political, military and cultural landscapes. We, however, hope that taken together they do present a coherent and attractive story.

Pratul Chandra Gupta was not only a gentleman historian, he was a many-splendoured man, an outstanding teacher, an able administrator with an abiding interest in literature. I think we could not have paid our tribute to Pratul Chandra Gupta in a more befitting manner.

Prastuti Chandra Gupta, who had a long association with the Asiatic Society, Kolkata, was born on 10 January, 1910. The Council of the Asiatic Society decided to hold a seminar to commemorate the centenary of his birth. The seminar was held at the Society from 6 to 8 January, 2010. This volume is the product of the seminar.

Pratul Chandra studied in Presidency College, Kolkata and after obtaining his Master's degree from the University of Calcutta went to the School of Oriental Studies, University of London, to pursue his research interest. In due course, he received his Ph. D. from the University of London. His subject of research was the history of the last phase of the Peshwas woven around the personality of Baji Rao II. As he himself writes in his memoirs, he was attracted by the Peshwas in decline. Indeed, Dhurjati Prasad Mukherjee once referred to Gupta's abiding interest in the cul de sac into which the last Peshwa ultimately found himself. By way of explanation as to why he chose the subject he did, he writes in his memoirs that success did not attract him. He seems to have been more interested in the story of decline. He argues that in a society in decline, truly outstanding men become rare. One sees ordinary men all around. He is fascinated by these men, good or evil, as they appear to be familiar figures. He finds Napoleon of St. Helena to be a more familiar and humane historical figure than the emperor.