The Loss of Hindustan

Shortlisted for the Cundill History Prize “Remarkable and pathbreaking…A radical rethink of colonial historiography and a compelling argument for the reassessment of the historical traditions of Hindustan.” —Mahmood Mamdani “The brilliance of Asif’s book rests in the way he makes readers think about the name ‘Hindustan’…Asif’s focus is Indian history but it is, at the same time, a lens to look at questions far bigger.” —Soni Wadhwa, Asian Review of Books “Remarkable…Asif’s analysis and conclusions are powerful and poignant.” —Rudrangshu Mukherjee, The Wire “A tremendous contribution…This is not only a book that you must read, but also one that you must chew over and debate.” —Audrey Truschke, Current History Did India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have a shared regional identity prior to the arrival of Europeans in the late fifteenth century? Manan Ahmed Asif tackles this contentious question by inviting us to reconsider the work and legacy of the influential historian Muhammad Qasim