Is the idea of “universal history” a good one? Sanjay Subrahmanyam examines the issue at a time when history is being drawn in various directions, whether by fervent nationalists or defenders of identity politics. He argues that historians need more than ever to defend the basic principles of their discipline, rather than yield to a facile methodological relativism. But these principles include an openness to the experiences and cultures of others, rather than a constant recourse to the smug languages of self-satisfaction and revindication.

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