This book investigates the socio-economic and political position of Muslim butchers, known as Qureshis, within the rapidly modernizing urban landscape of Delhi. Zarin Ahmad, an anthropologist, utilizes ethnographic fieldwork and historical analysis to examine how this community navigates shifting urban policies, social stigma, and the changing demands of a globalizing meat market. The work argues that the Qureshis are not merely passive subjects of urban planning but active agents who negotiate their identity and livelihood amidst the tensions of a transforming mega-city.

Scholars in urban studies and South Asian anthropology recognize this text as a significant contribution to the understanding of marginalized labor groups in India. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the depth of the author's primary research into the complexities of Delhi's meat economy.