The Many Careers of D.D. Kosambi

Damodar Dharmananda Kosambi (July 31 1907 - June 29 1966) was a man with a Renaissance type of versatility: he had a wide range of knowledge without sacrificing depth. He was a mathematician statistician and polymath who contributed to genetics by introducing Kosambis map function. He did pioneering work in numismatics and in compiling critical editions of ancient Sanskrit texts. Above all he was an outstanding Marxist historian.//The present volume brings together articles by scholars who assess Kosambis contributions to Indian historiography Indology philology the study of religions historical materialism and our understanding of caste in Indian history. While most essays deal with Kosambi the historian the final essay presents a detailed scientific historical and political assessment of his mathematical work. The essays are neither allergic to nor adulatory about Kosambis work but seek to present a balanced and critical appraisal as well as updating our knowledge with the current thinking in the field. //The editor of this volume Prof. D. N. Jha is an acclaimed historian. The other contributors are: Irfan Habib Suvira Jaiswal Prabhat Patnaik C.K. Raju Krishna Mohan Shrimali Eugenia Vanina and Kesavan Veluthat.