The Cauldron of History honours Subhas Ranjan Chakraborty - a beloved teacher, an exacting reader, and a "resident druid" whose intellectual curiosity shaped generations of historians. Refusing narrow specialisation, he inspired a wide, humane practice of history grounded in critical thinking, rigorous method, and shared conversation. Reflecting this spirit, the essays gathered here travel across time and place-from Marx's youth to Bengal's political worlds, from Soviet Tolstoyans to astrophysical debates. Together, they showcasing the restless, expansive discipline Chakraborty nurtured with wit, warmth, and uncompromising scholarship. 

It is a very special book meant as a tribute to the teacher who introduced me to European history, Professor Subhash Ranjan Chakraborty. The book, at another level, is also a tribute to the generalist spirit in an age of super specialization. The essays explore the art of seeing like a historian through a wide range of themes. Edited by Benjamin Zachariah, this volume is an essential read for students, researchers, and readers interested in history, historiography, and critical social thought.