14th Medieval History Journal Lecture 2022 | Prof Irfan Habib | Reason vs Religion in Medieval India

About the Lecture: Reason vs Religion in Medieval India: Mainly Based on Evidence in Persian
Conflict between Reason and Unreason has been characteristic of all civilisations, Greek, Chinese, Indian or Islamic. In medieval India, it turned into a conflict between ma‘qūlāt (reason) and manqūlāt (theology). Here poetry in Persian became a major vehicle undermining theology. Under Akbar (r. 1556-1605) a detailed inquiry into Islamic beliefs led to disquiet about their validity; and so, an exploration of other religions followed, at least partly from the standpoint of reason. Abū’l Faẓl became the leading light of this revival of rationality. Akbar’s own critique of Islam was extended to that of Hinduism as well. However, the latter half of the 17th century saw a reaction setting in despite Dārā Shukoh’s endeavours.
About Professor Irfan Habib
Prof Habib, 90, is among the master Indian historians who led a paradigm shift in Indian history writing during the late 1950’s and the ’60s by substituting class for religious community as the analytical category that had been handed down by colonial historiography. Professor Habib’s landmark book, The Agrarian System of Mughal India, (1963) brought history down from the foot of the throne to the peasant’s field and forever altered his image as an inert object of imperial diktat to an assertive agent of overpowering change. His essay, ‘Potentialities of Capitalist Development in Mughal Economy’ (1969) was a major intervention in the global debate on the non-Western world’s capacity to evolve into capitalist economy autonomously of colonialism. Since then Professor Habib has vastly expanded his command over diverse facets and periods of Indian history