First published in 1980, is a collection of papers which were presented at an inter-disciplinary seminar on , held at the School of Oriental and African Studies, under the auspices of the Centre of South Asian Studies. Some of the papers in this volume are comparative; others are concerned with specific cities – Allahabad, Dacca, Delhi, Karachi, Lucknow and Murshidabad. They deal with three main themes: the city and the state, the city and society, the city and the surrounding country. The book is appropriately embellished with maps and contemporary illustrations, and will be of interest to students of history, ethnic studies, and South Asian studies.