Foreign faculty delivers lecture at AMU

ALIGARH  : Professor Andre Wink, Department of History, University of Wisconsin, USA, delivered a lecture on “The making of Indo-Islamic world geographical and environmental perspective”, organized by the Centre of Advanced Study, Department of History, Aligarh Muslim University.

Referring to the concept of Islamic rule and Islamic conquests from the seventh century onwards, Prof Andre Wink explained the historical geography of India and Southern Asia, adding that the landmark was affected by the seasonal monsoon winds of the Indian Ocean.

He said that the settlement ecology of this major world region was quite different from that of Mediterranean peninsulas, islands and coasts. There was a dynamic interaction between the nomadic and agricultural societies and a culture of horse-riding nobility continued to prevail in the Mughal Empire until the age of European colonialism and the closing of the nomadic frontier.

He produced a comparative and world historical perspective claiming that Asoka stressed on socio-cultural reforms and the Asokan inscriptions were basically dealing with religion and social welfare. His focus was ‘live and let live’.

In his presidential remarks, Professor Asmer Beg, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences stressed the importance of non-traditional sources like the material relating to the cultural and art while studying the history of a particular region.

Professor Gulfishan Khan, Chairperson and Coordinator, CAS, Department of History extended a vote of thanks. She presented to him nine books published by the department.

Professor Irfan Habib, Professor Shireen Moosvi, along with a large number of teachers, research scholars and postgraduate students attended the lecture.