This work surveys the state of Hindu studies over the ages by studying the history of Hinduism in four periods: Vedic Hinduism, Classical Hinduism, Medieval Hinduism and Modern Hinduism. Commencing the study with some general observations on the study of Hinduism such as confinment of the study by and large to India and lack of political history of Hinduism, it examins features of Hinduism that established themselves during the different periods and the light they shed on Hindu thought, it focusses espically on the Hindu Muslim encounter at various levels - especially political, religious and mythic - in the medieval period with particular bearing on the mystical encounter between them as available through royal records and literature.
