R.S. Sharma is widely regarded as one of the most influential Indian historians of the 20th century, a pioneer who fundamentally reshaped the study of ancient Indian history.

Early Life and Education
Birth: He was born on November 26, 1919, in Barauni, Begusarai district, Bihar, India.

Academic Training: He studied under another legendary historian, Professor D.D. Kosambi, who was a major influence on his methodological approach. Sharma earned his doctorate from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.

Marxist Influence: He was deeply influenced by Marxist historiography, which emphasized material conditions, economic structures, and social formations over the histories of kings and battles. This became the hallmark of his work.

Academic Career
Professorship: He served as a Professor of History at Patna University and later as the first Dean of the School of Social Sciences at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi.

Role in NCERT: He played a key role in shaping history education in India as the Chairman of the History Department of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).

Major Contributions and Literary Works
R.S. Sharma's work is characterized by its rigorous use of archaeological evidence, epigraphy, and a critical analysis of literary sources to understand social and economic processes.

He is best known for his groundbreaking research on ancient Indian social structures, particularly the origins and consolidation of the caste system and the transition from a tribal, pastoral society to a settled agricultural state.

Some of his most seminal works include:

Śūdras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order Down to Circa A.D. 600 (1958): This was his pioneering doctoral thesis. It examined the history of the Shudra varna, challenging traditional narratives and analyzing their social and economic marginalization.

Indian Feudalism (1965): This highly influential and debated work argued that a feudal social structure developed in early medieval India (circa 300-1200 CE), characterized by a decentralized polity and a peasantry subjected to forced labour.

Material Culture and Social Formations in Ancient India (1983): A masterful survey that synthesizes archaeological and literary data to trace the evolution of Indian society from the Indus Valley Civilization to the rise of the Mauryan Empire.

Aspects of Political Ideas and Institutions in Ancient India (1959): A detailed study of political thought and structures.

Looking for the Aryans (1995): A critical examination of the Aryan migration theory and its impact on Indian society.

His book Ancient India, written for the NCERT, has been a standard textbook for generations of Indian school and college students.

The "Autobiographical" Glimpses
While there is no autobiography, R.S. Sharma did leave behind some personal reflections:

Interviews: He gave several interviews where he discussed his intellectual journey, his debates with other historians, and his motivations.

Prefaces and Introductions: The prefaces to his books often contain brief but insightful comments on the intellectual climate of his time and the challenges he faced in his research.

The Many Careers of a Historian’ (2011): This is not an autobiography, but a collection of essays published in his honour. It contains tributes and analyses of his work by his students and peers, which provide valuable context about his life and influence.

Legacy and Death
Pioneer of Scientific History: R.S. Sharma is celebrated as a founder of the "scientific" or "materialist" school of Indian history. He moved the focus from dynastic chronicles to the lives of ordinary people—peasants, artisans, and slaves.

Controversies: His work, especially on topics like the Aryan question and Indian feudalism, often made him a central figure in heated historical and political debates.

Awards: He received numerous accolades, including the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship.

Death: Professor R.S. Sharma passed away on August 20, 2011, in Patna.

Summary
In the absence of a formal autobiography, the biography of R.S. Sharma is best understood through his revolutionary body of work. He was not a historian of kings and empires, but of social struggles, economic changes, and the lives of the marginalized. His books forced a fundamental re-evaluation of India's ancient past and continue to be essential, if debated, reading for anyone seeking a deep understanding of the subject.