vipul singh | University of Delhi (original) (raw)
Papers by vipul singh
Delights and Disquiets of Leisure in Premodern India, 2023
The gardens in precolonial times were conceived as a hallmark of sophistication and were develope... more The gardens in precolonial times were conceived as a hallmark of sophistication and were developed by the rulers and elites purely as aleisure space. They were depicted as 'cultural space' ni paintings, vernacular poetry and chronicles and, thus, began to be used as a metaphor for scenic beauty. There was a marked shift in the way gardens and monuments were seen during the colonial rule.
Environmental History in the Making, 2016
The Geographer, 2000
The paper talks about the factors that helped the East India Company to acquire monopolistic cont... more The paper talks about the factors that helped the East India Company to acquire monopolistic control over all factories production by the beginning of the eighteenth century.
Global Environment, 2012
The Rebaris are a traditional pastoral community in the semi-arid zone of western Rajasthan. Hist... more The Rebaris are a traditional pastoral community in the semi-arid zone of western Rajasthan. Historically, the Rebaris have adapted to local scarcity through migration. These “environmental migrants” cover hundreds and even thousands of miles each year to feed their sheep, goats, and camels. They migrate in large groups, with each camp consisting of adults, children, and hundreds of animals. Unlike other pastoral groups throughout the world who have gradually become more sedentary, the Rebaris continue to migrate with their flocks of sheep in order to adapt to harsh climatic conditions. Despite the arid conditions and unpredictable grazing resources in western Rajasthan, herd populations have increased. In recent years, the Rebaris have expanded their range, migrating to more distant regions such as Haryana, the Punjab, and even Andhra Pradesh, almost 1,000 miles from Rajasthan. On occasion they have remained away from their homes for the entire year. This paper argues that a broade...
Current Research Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities
One of the defining characteristics of inland fisheries is that they are closely impacted by othe... more One of the defining characteristics of inland fisheries is that they are closely impacted by other essential human activities that rely on the same fresh or brackish water ecosystems, such as hydroelectricity generation and irrigated agriculture. Starting with the premise that an understanding of fisheries' interactions with these external sectors is in itself critical for achieving sustainability of the fisheries, this paper explores the topic of intersectoral governance and outlines an approach to analyzing the intricate and often challenging sector relationships. By drawing on examples of inland fisheries from around the world, the paper proposes four broad discursive mechanisms that can structure the study of the intersectoral dynamics, i.e., system characterization, valuation, power relations, and vertical policy interaction. A synthesis model then demonstrates their interwoven nature, revealing the way each mechanism influences one another as together they shape overall ou...
The Geographer , 2000
The paper talks about the factors that helped the East India Company to acquire monopolistic cont... more The paper talks about the factors that helped the East India Company to acquire monopolistic control over all factories production by the beginning of the eighteenth century.
Global Environment, 2020
British interest in the Islands was guided by its strategic location in the midst of the Indian O... more British interest in the Islands was guided by its strategic location in the midst of the Indian Ocean. The aim was to establish a flag-post to secure imperial rule in India, Australia, Mauritius, and South East Asia. Convicts, guards and soldiers soon populated the islands. British expansionism had to face environmental forces that endangered the imperial project. Frequent cyclones, for example, resulted in a high number of shipwrecks on the coast of the islands. This article examines the role of ecological factors in the British imperial expansion in the Andaman Islands.
Droughts have become recurrent now a days all around the world, and climate scientists look at th... more Droughts have become recurrent now a days all around the world, and climate scientists look at these unruly behaviours of nature as the result of climate change. Jeremy Schmidt begins his book with 1977 California drought, when Luna Leopold, the first chief hydrologist of US was requested to address the issue, and he came up with solution – ‘reverence for rivers’ and ‘water management’. The book takes a diametrically opposite position, and argues that much of the water problems being faced by the world are the outcome of the ‘philosophy of water management’.
One of the defining characteristics of inland fisheries is that they are closely impacted by othe... more One of the defining characteristics of inland fisheries is that they are closely impacted by other essential human activities that rely on the same fresh or brackish water ecosystems, such as hydroelectricity generation and irrigated agriculture. Starting with the premise that an understanding of fisheries' interactions with these external sectors is in itself critical for achieving sustainability of the fisheries, this paper explores the topic of intersectoral governance and outlines an approach to analyzing the intricate and often challenging sector relationships. By drawing on examples of inland fisheries from around the world, the paper proposes four broad discursive mechanisms that can structure the study of the intersectoral dynamics, i.e., system characterization, valuation, power relations, and vertical policy interaction. A synthesis model then demonstrates their interwoven nature, revealing the way each mechanism influences one another as together they shape overall outcomes. It is apparent that analyses often need to be combined to advance more rigorous (and transdisciplinary) science and also inform appropriate courses for the governance of inland fisheries. Given the typically marginal position of fisheries in inland water-use discussions, we call for a more systematic understanding of intersectoral interactions to enhance the sector's resilience within the wider society and subsequently contribute to integrated governance of waterbodies.
Early modern regimes in India did not impose any tax on fisheries. After getting the grant of diw... more Early modern regimes in India did not impose any tax on fisheries. After getting the grant of diwani or land revenue rights in 1765 the British East India Company tried to redefine all traditional rights through modern Acts and Legislations. It gradually established state control over rivers, lakes and ponds, and thus transformed the pre-colonial way of surviving the adverse ecological setting. State control over water meant control over access to river water. This considerably changed the pre-colonial relationship between the river-dependent communities of fishermen and fisheries. By the last quarter of the nineteenth century, many colonial reports recommended that fisheries might prove a valuable source of revenue for the state. It was after this that the British government passed two inland fisheries acts. For a large fishing community living in vulnerable diara landmass the modern acts became all the more distressing. This paper attempts to understand these acts in the light of European notion of fisheries conservation and colonial interest to control water regime.
Looking at the changing nature of river economy this paper tries to examine the relation between ... more Looking at the changing nature of river economy this paper tries to examine the relation between economy and environmental history. Bihar province in mid-Ganga basin has the natural advantage of many rivers converging the Ganga. During the seventeenth and the eighteenth century the province went on to get linked with the maritime economy and trade, and the center of commercial activities shifted from Ganga-Yamuna doab to eastern part of the Ganga basin. Using Patna as the case study, the paper argues that region's orientation from west to east had grave implication on the river morphology. After 1765 when the British East India Company got the land revenue rights of the region it sought permanence in the administrative and revenue policies and to achieve this it encouraged construction of embankments and railways. It created obstruction to the natural fl ow of the fl ood-ing Ganga.
The Rebaris are a traditional pastoral community in the semi-arid zone of west- ern Rajasthan. Hi... more The Rebaris are a traditional pastoral community in the semi-arid zone of west- ern Rajasthan. Historically, the Rebaris have adapted to local scarcity through mi- gration. These “environmental migrants” cover hundreds and even thousands of miles each year to feed their sheep, goats, and camels. They migrate in large groups, with each camp consisting of adults, children, and hundreds of animals. Unlike other pastoral groups throughout the world who have gradually become more sed- entary, the Rebaris continue to migrate with their flocks of sheep in order to adapt to harsh climatic conditions. Despite the arid conditions and unpredictable grazing resources in western Rajasthan, herd populations have increased. In recent years, the Rebaris have expanded their range, migrating to more distant regions such as Haryana, the Punjab, and even Andhra Pradesh, almost 1,000 miles from Rajas- than. On occasion they have remained away from their homes for the entire year. This paper argues that a broader view of environmental migration is needed in order to understand the relationship between increasing herd sizes and shrinking grazing resources. My research suggests that environmental migration in western Rajasthan, once viewed as a response to drought and famine, has also developed into a planned livelihood strategy.
Drafts by vipul singh
The task before a historian is not only to inform the people about what really happened, but also... more The task before a historian is not only to inform the people about what really happened, but also to disclose how people come to believe what happened. Controversy over the veracity of a legend such as Padmavati is ripe now a day. It has arisen over the speculation that the Bollywood film is based on the ‘true story’ of Padmavati. Many scholars claim that Padmavati is just a fictional character conceived by Malik Muhammad Jayasi in his text Padmavat that he wrote in 1540. The practitioners of history would not have much problem with this sixteenth century story wherein Alauddin Khalji is one of the main actors, and Padmavati or Padmini is the lead character around which the story revolves around. They would see it as a form historical discourse. They very well understand as to why Padmavati was written in Avadhi by Malik Muhammad Jayasi in particular time and space. They are also able to comprehend what would have been the intention of the Sufi poet and the indirect message he tries to send but leaves unsaid etc.
The Taj Mahal has always been in news for its mesmerizing beauty, and a symbol of love. The polit... more The Taj Mahal has always been in news for its mesmerizing beauty, and a symbol of love. The politically motivated groups are propelling the mythical stories as historical reality. The tourist guide would often tell with routine certainty that after the completion of the beautiful Taj Mahal, its builder Shah Jahan (1592-1666) got the hands of the labourers chopped off so that they could not contribute in the construction of a matching beauty in future. The second claim by the guide was that it had been constructed in the memory of his beloved queen Mumtaz Mahal (1593-1631) by the Mughal emperor. Let us try to understand the first common theory, which insinuates that the hands of the artisans were cut. No one would imagine that this kind of shoddy narrative would be used one day to claim with authenticity that thousands of Hindu labourers sacrificed their lives because of the coercion of a powerful Mughal emperor. As a practitioner of history I have no objection to the use of the term Hindu labourers. It is quite possible that majority of the non-Islamic subjects from the surrounding region of Agra were employed to work under the guidance of the master craftsmen and engineers. The huge amount of Persian influence suggests that many of these master craftsmen came from Iran. The problem arises when one tends to qualify such term with sacrifice. The historical documents would suggest that the monarchs from ancient and medieval past undertook such construction projects to generate employment among the non-agrarian population. It was one way of redistributing the surplus that the rulers accumulated from land revenue and war booty. Apart from that, the splendid monuments were also symbols of authority.
The Delhi Sultan, Muhammad Shah Tughlaq, fancied the idea of replacing earlier existing gold and ... more The Delhi Sultan, Muhammad Shah Tughlaq, fancied the idea of replacing earlier existing gold and silver coins with the intent of embodying his authority. Obey the Sultan’ was a statement of assertion that was often used as a symbol of authority by many medieval rulers.
Books by vipul singh
The question of water and human dependence on river system has become one of the major public con... more The question of water and human dependence on river system has become one of the major public concerns in this twenty-first century. Speaking Rivers: Environmental History of a Mid-Ganga Flood Country, 1540-1885 does a long-term historical study of Bihar. It comprehends the transformations taking shape in the perception about the rivers such as the Ganga, Sone, Ghaghar, and Kosi from useful rivers under Afghans and Mughals to challenging rivers under colonial rule. The book journeys through the floodplains of Bihar where Sher Shah’s ideas of local governance and ecological regime were altered by the Mughals and reversed completely by the European notion of a regimented Greater Bengal. Its wide-ranging narrative of relentless calamities tells the story of the famines and brings in river history to the center of the debate in its global context. The book also makes a claim that there is a strong connection between economy and river ecology what its author terms as rivernomics. It questions the presumed relation between flood control and modernity, the misconception of which led British administration to detach land and water into two separate spheres. Drawing on extensive fieldwork and archival records the book also explains as to why even today ecologically vulnerable diara land remains as the center of conflict and dispute. By providing a more textured analysis of how separate identity is formed, it provides the wide spectrum to look at variety of sources from Persian accounts, British records to oral and vernacular sources to write an environmental history.
The book could be useful to undergraduate, postgraduate students and researchers working on environmental history. It will also appeal to river-concerned general readers.
Delights and Disquiets of Leisure in Premodern India, 2023
The gardens in precolonial times were conceived as a hallmark of sophistication and were develope... more The gardens in precolonial times were conceived as a hallmark of sophistication and were developed by the rulers and elites purely as aleisure space. They were depicted as 'cultural space' ni paintings, vernacular poetry and chronicles and, thus, began to be used as a metaphor for scenic beauty. There was a marked shift in the way gardens and monuments were seen during the colonial rule.
Environmental History in the Making, 2016
The Geographer, 2000
The paper talks about the factors that helped the East India Company to acquire monopolistic cont... more The paper talks about the factors that helped the East India Company to acquire monopolistic control over all factories production by the beginning of the eighteenth century.
Global Environment, 2012
The Rebaris are a traditional pastoral community in the semi-arid zone of western Rajasthan. Hist... more The Rebaris are a traditional pastoral community in the semi-arid zone of western Rajasthan. Historically, the Rebaris have adapted to local scarcity through migration. These “environmental migrants” cover hundreds and even thousands of miles each year to feed their sheep, goats, and camels. They migrate in large groups, with each camp consisting of adults, children, and hundreds of animals. Unlike other pastoral groups throughout the world who have gradually become more sedentary, the Rebaris continue to migrate with their flocks of sheep in order to adapt to harsh climatic conditions. Despite the arid conditions and unpredictable grazing resources in western Rajasthan, herd populations have increased. In recent years, the Rebaris have expanded their range, migrating to more distant regions such as Haryana, the Punjab, and even Andhra Pradesh, almost 1,000 miles from Rajasthan. On occasion they have remained away from their homes for the entire year. This paper argues that a broade...
Current Research Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities
One of the defining characteristics of inland fisheries is that they are closely impacted by othe... more One of the defining characteristics of inland fisheries is that they are closely impacted by other essential human activities that rely on the same fresh or brackish water ecosystems, such as hydroelectricity generation and irrigated agriculture. Starting with the premise that an understanding of fisheries' interactions with these external sectors is in itself critical for achieving sustainability of the fisheries, this paper explores the topic of intersectoral governance and outlines an approach to analyzing the intricate and often challenging sector relationships. By drawing on examples of inland fisheries from around the world, the paper proposes four broad discursive mechanisms that can structure the study of the intersectoral dynamics, i.e., system characterization, valuation, power relations, and vertical policy interaction. A synthesis model then demonstrates their interwoven nature, revealing the way each mechanism influences one another as together they shape overall ou...
The Geographer , 2000
The paper talks about the factors that helped the East India Company to acquire monopolistic cont... more The paper talks about the factors that helped the East India Company to acquire monopolistic control over all factories production by the beginning of the eighteenth century.
Global Environment, 2020
British interest in the Islands was guided by its strategic location in the midst of the Indian O... more British interest in the Islands was guided by its strategic location in the midst of the Indian Ocean. The aim was to establish a flag-post to secure imperial rule in India, Australia, Mauritius, and South East Asia. Convicts, guards and soldiers soon populated the islands. British expansionism had to face environmental forces that endangered the imperial project. Frequent cyclones, for example, resulted in a high number of shipwrecks on the coast of the islands. This article examines the role of ecological factors in the British imperial expansion in the Andaman Islands.
Droughts have become recurrent now a days all around the world, and climate scientists look at th... more Droughts have become recurrent now a days all around the world, and climate scientists look at these unruly behaviours of nature as the result of climate change. Jeremy Schmidt begins his book with 1977 California drought, when Luna Leopold, the first chief hydrologist of US was requested to address the issue, and he came up with solution – ‘reverence for rivers’ and ‘water management’. The book takes a diametrically opposite position, and argues that much of the water problems being faced by the world are the outcome of the ‘philosophy of water management’.
One of the defining characteristics of inland fisheries is that they are closely impacted by othe... more One of the defining characteristics of inland fisheries is that they are closely impacted by other essential human activities that rely on the same fresh or brackish water ecosystems, such as hydroelectricity generation and irrigated agriculture. Starting with the premise that an understanding of fisheries' interactions with these external sectors is in itself critical for achieving sustainability of the fisheries, this paper explores the topic of intersectoral governance and outlines an approach to analyzing the intricate and often challenging sector relationships. By drawing on examples of inland fisheries from around the world, the paper proposes four broad discursive mechanisms that can structure the study of the intersectoral dynamics, i.e., system characterization, valuation, power relations, and vertical policy interaction. A synthesis model then demonstrates their interwoven nature, revealing the way each mechanism influences one another as together they shape overall outcomes. It is apparent that analyses often need to be combined to advance more rigorous (and transdisciplinary) science and also inform appropriate courses for the governance of inland fisheries. Given the typically marginal position of fisheries in inland water-use discussions, we call for a more systematic understanding of intersectoral interactions to enhance the sector's resilience within the wider society and subsequently contribute to integrated governance of waterbodies.
Early modern regimes in India did not impose any tax on fisheries. After getting the grant of diw... more Early modern regimes in India did not impose any tax on fisheries. After getting the grant of diwani or land revenue rights in 1765 the British East India Company tried to redefine all traditional rights through modern Acts and Legislations. It gradually established state control over rivers, lakes and ponds, and thus transformed the pre-colonial way of surviving the adverse ecological setting. State control over water meant control over access to river water. This considerably changed the pre-colonial relationship between the river-dependent communities of fishermen and fisheries. By the last quarter of the nineteenth century, many colonial reports recommended that fisheries might prove a valuable source of revenue for the state. It was after this that the British government passed two inland fisheries acts. For a large fishing community living in vulnerable diara landmass the modern acts became all the more distressing. This paper attempts to understand these acts in the light of European notion of fisheries conservation and colonial interest to control water regime.
Looking at the changing nature of river economy this paper tries to examine the relation between ... more Looking at the changing nature of river economy this paper tries to examine the relation between economy and environmental history. Bihar province in mid-Ganga basin has the natural advantage of many rivers converging the Ganga. During the seventeenth and the eighteenth century the province went on to get linked with the maritime economy and trade, and the center of commercial activities shifted from Ganga-Yamuna doab to eastern part of the Ganga basin. Using Patna as the case study, the paper argues that region's orientation from west to east had grave implication on the river morphology. After 1765 when the British East India Company got the land revenue rights of the region it sought permanence in the administrative and revenue policies and to achieve this it encouraged construction of embankments and railways. It created obstruction to the natural fl ow of the fl ood-ing Ganga.
The Rebaris are a traditional pastoral community in the semi-arid zone of west- ern Rajasthan. Hi... more The Rebaris are a traditional pastoral community in the semi-arid zone of west- ern Rajasthan. Historically, the Rebaris have adapted to local scarcity through mi- gration. These “environmental migrants” cover hundreds and even thousands of miles each year to feed their sheep, goats, and camels. They migrate in large groups, with each camp consisting of adults, children, and hundreds of animals. Unlike other pastoral groups throughout the world who have gradually become more sed- entary, the Rebaris continue to migrate with their flocks of sheep in order to adapt to harsh climatic conditions. Despite the arid conditions and unpredictable grazing resources in western Rajasthan, herd populations have increased. In recent years, the Rebaris have expanded their range, migrating to more distant regions such as Haryana, the Punjab, and even Andhra Pradesh, almost 1,000 miles from Rajas- than. On occasion they have remained away from their homes for the entire year. This paper argues that a broader view of environmental migration is needed in order to understand the relationship between increasing herd sizes and shrinking grazing resources. My research suggests that environmental migration in western Rajasthan, once viewed as a response to drought and famine, has also developed into a planned livelihood strategy.
The task before a historian is not only to inform the people about what really happened, but also... more The task before a historian is not only to inform the people about what really happened, but also to disclose how people come to believe what happened. Controversy over the veracity of a legend such as Padmavati is ripe now a day. It has arisen over the speculation that the Bollywood film is based on the ‘true story’ of Padmavati. Many scholars claim that Padmavati is just a fictional character conceived by Malik Muhammad Jayasi in his text Padmavat that he wrote in 1540. The practitioners of history would not have much problem with this sixteenth century story wherein Alauddin Khalji is one of the main actors, and Padmavati or Padmini is the lead character around which the story revolves around. They would see it as a form historical discourse. They very well understand as to why Padmavati was written in Avadhi by Malik Muhammad Jayasi in particular time and space. They are also able to comprehend what would have been the intention of the Sufi poet and the indirect message he tries to send but leaves unsaid etc.
The Taj Mahal has always been in news for its mesmerizing beauty, and a symbol of love. The polit... more The Taj Mahal has always been in news for its mesmerizing beauty, and a symbol of love. The politically motivated groups are propelling the mythical stories as historical reality. The tourist guide would often tell with routine certainty that after the completion of the beautiful Taj Mahal, its builder Shah Jahan (1592-1666) got the hands of the labourers chopped off so that they could not contribute in the construction of a matching beauty in future. The second claim by the guide was that it had been constructed in the memory of his beloved queen Mumtaz Mahal (1593-1631) by the Mughal emperor. Let us try to understand the first common theory, which insinuates that the hands of the artisans were cut. No one would imagine that this kind of shoddy narrative would be used one day to claim with authenticity that thousands of Hindu labourers sacrificed their lives because of the coercion of a powerful Mughal emperor. As a practitioner of history I have no objection to the use of the term Hindu labourers. It is quite possible that majority of the non-Islamic subjects from the surrounding region of Agra were employed to work under the guidance of the master craftsmen and engineers. The huge amount of Persian influence suggests that many of these master craftsmen came from Iran. The problem arises when one tends to qualify such term with sacrifice. The historical documents would suggest that the monarchs from ancient and medieval past undertook such construction projects to generate employment among the non-agrarian population. It was one way of redistributing the surplus that the rulers accumulated from land revenue and war booty. Apart from that, the splendid monuments were also symbols of authority.
The Delhi Sultan, Muhammad Shah Tughlaq, fancied the idea of replacing earlier existing gold and ... more The Delhi Sultan, Muhammad Shah Tughlaq, fancied the idea of replacing earlier existing gold and silver coins with the intent of embodying his authority. Obey the Sultan’ was a statement of assertion that was often used as a symbol of authority by many medieval rulers.
The question of water and human dependence on river system has become one of the major public con... more The question of water and human dependence on river system has become one of the major public concerns in this twenty-first century. Speaking Rivers: Environmental History of a Mid-Ganga Flood Country, 1540-1885 does a long-term historical study of Bihar. It comprehends the transformations taking shape in the perception about the rivers such as the Ganga, Sone, Ghaghar, and Kosi from useful rivers under Afghans and Mughals to challenging rivers under colonial rule. The book journeys through the floodplains of Bihar where Sher Shah’s ideas of local governance and ecological regime were altered by the Mughals and reversed completely by the European notion of a regimented Greater Bengal. Its wide-ranging narrative of relentless calamities tells the story of the famines and brings in river history to the center of the debate in its global context. The book also makes a claim that there is a strong connection between economy and river ecology what its author terms as rivernomics. It questions the presumed relation between flood control and modernity, the misconception of which led British administration to detach land and water into two separate spheres. Drawing on extensive fieldwork and archival records the book also explains as to why even today ecologically vulnerable diara land remains as the center of conflict and dispute. By providing a more textured analysis of how separate identity is formed, it provides the wide spectrum to look at variety of sources from Persian accounts, British records to oral and vernacular sources to write an environmental history.
The book could be useful to undergraduate, postgraduate students and researchers working on environmental history. It will also appeal to river-concerned general readers.