Irfan Habib
Irfan Habib was born on the 12th of August 1931 into a prominent Indian Muslim family. His father Mohammad Habib and mother Sohaila Tyabji came from lineages deeply embedded in India's legal and political history. His paternal grandfather, Mohammad Naseem, served as a wealthy barrister and held membership within the Indian National Congress. This connection placed him at the heart of early nationalist movements seeking independence from British rule.
The maternal side of his lineage carried equal weight in public service. Abbas Tyabji acted as Chief Justice of the High Court for the Baroda princely state during his lifetime. He also stood as a noted follower of Mahatma Gandhi throughout his career. These two grandfathers provided Irfan with a childhood steeped in the values of law, justice, and national struggle. The environment shaped his understanding of power dynamics long before he entered academia.
After completing studies at Oxford University, Irfan Habib joined the faculty at Aligarh Muslim University. He served there as Professor of History from 1969 until 1991. Today he holds the title of Professor Emeritus at the same institution. His tenure coincided with a period where Marxist historiography began gaining significant traction among scholars studying ancient and medieval India.
Amiya Kumar Bagchi later described Habib as one of the two most prominent Marxist historians of India today. This label defined his approach to economic history between the twelfth and eighteenth centuries. He applied these methods to historical geography, Indian technology, and medieval administrative systems. His work examined how colonialism impacted the way Indian history was recorded by earlier generations of writers.
Habib led historians within the Indian History Congress during 1998 to move a resolution against what he called the saffronisation of history. He argued that the BJP government holding power from 1998 to 2004 invented facts and dates to suit their specific interpretation of the past. Murli Manohar Joshi released a book specifically designed to rebut the history presented by Habib and his colleagues.
A major point of contention arose when the ruling party removed chapters on Muslim rule from school textbooks. These changes included references to the Mughals and omitted contributions made by Muslims to the country's freedom struggle. Habib condemned this decision as an Islamophobic agenda aimed at denying Muslims their place in Indian history. The conflict highlighted the deep political stakes involved in writing national history.
His first major publication appeared in 1963 through Asia Publishing House under the title The Agrarian System of Mughal India 1556, 1707. A second extensively revised edition followed in 1999 published by Oxford University Press. This work established him as a leading voice in economic history regarding the Mughal Empire period.
He also produced An Atlas of the Mughal Empire: Political and Economic Maps with Detailed Notes in 1982. Later he co-authored An Atlas of Ancient Indian History with Faiz Habib for Oxford University Press in 2012. As general editor, he became the driving force behind the A People's History of India series. Volumes continue to be released covering topics ranging from Prehistory to the National Movement up to 1947.
His international standing grew when he became an Elected Corresponding Fellow of the British Royal Historical Society in 1997. The Ibn Sina Memorial Lecture honored him in 2009. An honorary doctorate followed from the University of Calicut in 2010. Yash Bharti was bestowed upon him in 2016. Most recently, New College, Oxford named him an Honorary Fellow in 2021.
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Common questions
When was Irfan Habib born and what were his parents' names?
Irfan Habib was born on the 12th of August 1931 to Mohammad Habib and Sohaila Tyabji. His father came from a family deeply embedded in India's legal history while his mother belonged to a lineage with significant political influence.
What academic positions did Irfan Habib hold at Aligarh Muslim University?
Irfan Habib served as Professor of History at Aligarh Muslim University from 1969 until 1991. He currently holds the title of Professor Emeritus at the same institution after his long tenure ended.
Which major publication established Irfan Habib as a leading voice in economic history regarding the Mughal Empire period?
His first major publication appeared in 1963 through Asia Publishing House under the title The Agrarian System of Mughal India 1556, 1707. A second extensively revised edition followed in 1999 published by Oxford University Press which solidified his reputation.
Why did Irfan Habib lead historians within the Indian History Congress during 1998 to move a resolution against saffronisation of history?
Irfan Habib argued that the BJP government holding power from 1998 to 2004 invented facts and dates to suit their specific interpretation of the past. He condemned the removal of chapters on Muslim rule from school textbooks as an Islamophobic agenda aimed at denying Muslims their place in Indian history.
What international honors has Irfan Habib received between 1997 and 2021?
Irfan Habib became an Elected Corresponding Fellow of the British Royal Historical Society in 1997 and received the Ibn Sina Memorial Lecture honor in 2009. An honorary doctorate followed from the University of Calicut in 2010 while Yash Bharti was bestowed upon him in 2016 before New College Oxford named him an Honorary Fellow in 2021.