A Brief History Of Modern India

In a second edition of their successful Concise History of Modern India, Barbara Metcalf and Thomas Metcalf explore India's modern history afresh and update the events of the last decade. These include the takeover of Congress from the seemingly entrenched Hindu nationalist party in 2004, India's huge advances in technology and the country's new role as a major player in world affairs. From the days of the Mughals, through the British Empire, and into Independence, the country has been transformed by its institutional structures. It is these institutions which have helped bring about the social, cultural and economic changes that have taken place over the last half century and paved the way for the modern success story. Despite these advances, poverty, social inequality and religious division still fester. In response to these dilemmas, the book grapples with questions of caste and religious identity, and the nature of the Indian nation.

India has become one of the world's emerging powers, rivaling China in terms of global influence. Yet many people know relatively little about the economic, social, political, and cultural changes unfolding in India today. To what extent are people benefiting from the economic boom? In what ways is education transforming society? And how is India's culture industry responding to technological change? In this "Very Short Introduction", Craig Jeffrey provides a compelling account of the recent history of India, investigating the contradictions that are plaguing modern India and the manner in which people, especially young people, are actively remaking the country in the twenty first century. -- From publisher's description.

Praise for the hardback edition: 'an impressively scholarly and immensely detailed text... a welcome and strongly recommended contribution to World History and India History collections.' Library Bookwatch "Recommended" -- Choice A History of Modern India provides a comprehensive chronological analysis of India's vibrant and diverse history. As well as examining the evolution of the relationship between the society and the state in its various economic, social, cultural and political forms, A History of Modern India analyses the major empires in modern India from the Moghuls (1580-1739) to the Raj (1818-1947), and discusses the economic, social and intellectual dynansm that accompanied intervening periods of political fragmentation. The book explores the difficulties confronting the rise of Indian nationalismand the consequent confrontation between religious communities: what should have been the crowning victory of a pacifist anti-colonial movement was instead brutally resolved with the violence of Partition in 1947.

The Book Has Been Thoroughly Revised By Incorporating Fresh Materials In The Light Of Recent Researches On The Subject. Apart From Meeting The Requirements Of The Students For Plus Two Level Or Higher Secondary, The Book Will Be Helpful To The Candidates Appearing In Competitive Examination Of Both Central And State Civil Services, Including Indian Administrative And Allied Services.Historical Research During The Last Four Decades Has Led To New Insights Into The Study Of Modern Indian History. The Book Incorporates The Major Developments In Historical Research Since Independence. Besides Dealing With The Political Convulsions In India, The Book Furnishes The Socio-Economic Problems With Impoverishment Of The Country, The Cultural And Religious Revival In India, A Brief Survey Of Constitutional Developments, The Genesis And Growth Of Indian Nationalism And An Outline Of Freedom Struggle From Its Inception To The Attainment Of Independence.

This book provides an interpretive and comprehensive account of the history of India between the eighteenth and twentieth centuries, a crucial epoch characterized by colonialism, nationalism and the emergence of the independent Indian Union. It explores significant historiographical debates concerning the period while highlighting important new issues, especially those of gender, ecology, caste, and labour. The work combines an analysis of colonial and independent India in order to underscore ideologies, policies, and processes that shaped the colonial state and continue to mould the Indian nation.