A Biography of the Indian Nation, 1947-1997

What makes a nation a nation? A Biography of the Indian Nation contextualises this question in a uniquely new paradigm by concentrating on the post-colonial phase rather than the colonial period of Indian history in charting the evolution of Indian nationalism. It gives primacy to politics rather than concentrating merely on historicism and cultural analysis. As Professor Samaddar argues, it is only with the assumption of state power that the nationalist journey in India can be said to have begun in earnest. He focuses on the encounters between the Indian nation and its myriad `constituents`—rebels, communities, citizens and aliens—as well as with democracy, both conceptually and practically. The volume offers an elegant and lucid analysis of a complex and dynamic process, delineating a theory of Indian nationalism that is not only unique in its approach but exhaustive in its scope.