The essays in this volume deal with various aspects of the state in South Asia. The first one provides a long-term historical perspective from ancient times to the present. The second one concerns the state and the market in India, a relation which varied from negligence to vigorous intervention. The third contribution reflects the rural/urban divide in India in economic as well as social terms. The fourth paper is devoted to individual and group rights the latter being of crucial importance in India where they have been the object of controversy. The subsequent essay deals the position of India in world affairs in 1997. This is supplemented by an analysis of external and internal affairs after the BJP-government came to power in 1998. The seventh essay presents an analysis of the reconstruction of Asian traditions in support of nationalism. South Asia as well as China and Japan are discussed in this respect. The final essay is a study in Indian historiography in which nation and region are presented as alternative themes. State-formation and nation-building are discussed in most of these essays. Economic, political, social and legal history are stressed in their respective contexts. There are chips from a German workshop' -- as Max Mueller would have said. They are offered here with the hope that they will stimulate further research.