Gyan Pandey's latest book is a compelling examination of the violence that marked the partition of India in 1947, and how the preceding events have been documented. In the process, the author provides a critique of history-writing and nationalist myth-making. He also investigates how local forms of community are established by the way in which violent events are remembered and written about. The book will be of interest to historians of South Asia, to sociologists and to anyone concerned with the Indian subaltern story.

In this book, a study of the population processes of two castes in north India, the authors ask why fertility levels are higher among the Muslim Sheikhs than the Hindu Jats. They conclude that explanations can only partly be attributed to gender and religion, and that economic and political status is a defining factor. The book has implications for the understanding of population and politics in India generally, and will be invaluable to students of the region and anyone interested in the demography of developing countries.

Challenging the view that a shared colonial legacy led to contrasting patterns of political development in South Asia--democracy in India and authoritarianism in Pakistan and Bangladesh--Ayesha Jalal argues that, despite differences in form, central political authority in each state has confronted similar threats from ethnic and regional movements. By comparing state structures and political processes, the author evaluates and redefines democracy, citizenship, sovereignty and the nation state, arguing for more decentralized government.

Two highly regarded scholars come together to examine India's relationship with the world's major powers and its own search for a significant role in the international system. Central to the argument is Indiaas belief that the acquisition of an independent nuclear capability is key to obtaining such status. The book details the major constraints at the international, domestic and perceptual levels that India has faced in this endeavor. It concludes, through a detailed comparison of India's power capabilities, that India is indeed a rising power, but that significant systemic and domestic...

In a compelling account of the lives of those at the bottom of Indian society, the authors explore the construction of the Untouchables as a social and political category, the historical background that led to such a definition and their position in India today. The authors argue that, despite efforts to ameliorate their condition, a considerable edifice of discrimination persists. The book promises to make a major contribution to the social and economic debates on poverty, while its wide-ranging perspectives will ensure a readership from across the disciplines.

In a compelling account of the lives of those at the bottom of Indian society, the authors explore the construction of the Untouchables as a social and political category, the historical background that led to such a definition and their position in India today. The authors argue that, despite efforts to ameliorate their condition, a considerable edifice of discrimination persists. The book promises to make a major contribution to the social and economic debates on poverty, while its wide-ranging perspectives will ensure a readership from across the disciplines.

How has democracy taken root in India in the face of a low-income economy, poverty, illiteracy and ethnic diversity? Atul Kohli brings together leading scholars of Indian politics to explore this intriguing anomaly. Themes addressed include politics, ethnicity, federalism, caste, poverty, and Hindu nationalism. This is a tightly conceived volume on an important and controversial topic, which will be as useful in the classroom as it will be for professionals and general readers. It is a book for anyone who wants to learn more about the world's largest democracy.

Poor people confront the state on an everyday basis all over the world. But how do they see the state? This book considers the Indian example where people's accounts, in particular in the countryside, are shaped by encounters staged at the local level, and are also informed by ideas circulated by the government and the broader development community. Drawing extensively on fieldwork conducted in eastern India, the authors review a series of key debates in development studies on participation, good governance, and the structuring of political society in South Asia.