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By Dirk H. A. Kolff
Dirk H. A. Kolff, 2002
This work examines an aspect of the ethnohistory of North Indian peasant society, focusing on the significance of its military labor market. It explores how this market influenced state and sect formation, social change, and the survival strategies of villages in Hindustan. The study traces the history of the British Indian sepoy back to the fifteenth century, connecting it to India's medieval past. From an anthropological perspective, it highlights the importance of fluid peasant identities and alliances over strictly hierarchical caste structures in North Indian politics.