Cities, Social History and Muslim Entrepreneurs

Sponsor: Indian Council for Social Science Research

The research directed by Aseem Prakash project aims to write the social history of select cities from the vantage point of successful Muslim entrepreneurs who control significant proportions of economic activities in that particular city. In other words, how and why certain economic activities (for instance spices in Kozhikode, perfume in Lucknow, restaurants and bakeries in Hyderabad) flourished in these cities and how Muslims acquired a dominant position in these economic sectors. The project endeavours to connect the business history of successful entrepreneurs to the “socioeconomic” history of the particular economic sector in which they have succeeded and then examine how these two have impacted and influenced the social history of the city and vice-versa.