Irfan Habib: Difference between revisions

'''Irfan Habib''' (born 1931) is an Indian historian of ancient and medieval India, following the methodology of [[Marxist historiography]]. He identifies as a Marxist and is well known for his strong stance against [[Communalism (South Asia)|Hindutva and Muslim communalists]].<ref>[http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?234450 Historian: Prof Irfan Habib] ''outlookindia.com''. Magazine | 23 April 2007. Retrieved 15 January 2013</ref> He has authored a number of books, including ''Agrarian System of Mughal India, 1556–1707''.

Irfan was born in an Indian Muslim family, the son of [[Prof. Mohammad Habib|Mohammad Habib]], a [[Marxism|Marxist]] historian and ideologue belonging to the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]], by his wife Sohaila Habib (née Tyabji). Irfan's paternal grandfather was Mohammad Naseem, a wealthy barrister and member of the [[Indian National Congress|Congress party]], and his maternal grandfather was [[Abbas Tyabji]], sometime Chief Justice of the High Court of [[Baroda state|Baroda princely state]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ejrBraqBaLQC&q=%22Irfan+Habib%22&pg=PA202|title=The Making of History: Essays Presented to Irfan Habib|last=Habib|first=Irfan|date=2002|publisher=Anthem Press|isbn=9781843310389|pages=1|language=en}}</ref>

Irfan's wife Sayera Habib (née Siddiqui) was Professor of Economics at [[Aligarh Muslim University]] (AMU).<ref name="agrarianmughal">The Agrarian System of Mughal India, Oxford University Press, 2004, {{ISBN|0-19-565595-8}}, Preface xv</ref> The couple have two sons and a daughter.

After he returned from Oxford he joined AMU as a member of the faculty. He was Professor of History at Aligarh from 1969–91. He is presently appointed as [[Emeritus|Professor Emeritus]] at the Department of History of the AMU. He delivered the Radhakrishnan Lecture at Oxford in 1991. He is an Elected Corresponding Fellow of the British [[Royal Historical Society]] since 1997.<ref name=":0" />

Habib has worked on the [[historical geography]] of [[History of India|Ancient India]], the [[Science and technology in ancient India|history of Indian technology]], medieval administrative and [[economic history]], [[colonialism]] and its impact on India, and [[historiography]].<ref name=":0" />

*Yash Bharti, 2016<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amarujala.com/uttar-pradesh/aligarh/pro-will-be-honored-with-yash-bharti-irfan-habib|title=प्रो. इरफान हबीब होंगे यश भारती से सम्मानित- Amarujala}}</ref><ref>http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions//cm-presented-yash-bharati-awards.html</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Eminent-achievers-to-get-Yash-Bharti-Award-today/articleshow/51486494.cms|title=Eminent achievers to get Yash Bharti Award today - Times of India}}</ref>

 

==Controversy==

In December 2019, the [[Governor of Kerala]] [[Arif Mohammed Khan]] accused Irfan Habib of disrupting his speech at the India History Congress session held at Kannur University, [[Kannur]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/kerala-governor-says-eminent-historian-irfan-habib-tried-to-disrupt-his-speech/articleshow/73010359.cms|title = Kerala governor says eminent historian Irfan Habib tried to disrupt his speech &#124; India News - Times of India}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3ohy4NESp4&ab_channel=ZeeNews}}</ref>

*''A People's History of India – Vol 4 : Mauryan India''. (Co-author Vivekanand Jha) Aligarh Historians Society and [[Tulika Books]], 2004.

*''A People's History of India – Vol 28 : Indian Economy'', 1858–1914. Aligarh Historians Society and [[Tulika Books]], 2006.

*''The National Movement: Studies in Ideology & History''

*''Sikh History from Persian Sources''

*''India – Studies in the History of an Idea''