Contemporary India

Contents: Preface. Colonial Policy. 1. Colonial Policy. 2. Christian Missionaries and Indian Social Change. 3. Bentinck: A Reforming Mughal, Yet a Mughal. 4. Education. Popular Movements. 5. Civil Rebellions. 6. Tribal Movements. 7. Peasant Movements. 8. Caste Movements in India. National Emancipation. 9. The Revolt of 1857. 10. Emergence of Indian Nationalism. 11. The moderate Era: Period of Economic Nationalism. 12. The Non-Cooperation Movement: The Dichotomy of Us and They. 13. The second wave of mass movement: The civil disobedience movement. 14. Quit India: Gandhi, congress and popular initiatives. Post-Colonial Concerns. 15. Feminism: Fighting male ego capitalism. 16. Secularism: A Flawed approach. 17. Indian democracy in crisis. 18. Ayodhya: Some new challenges. 19. Indian environmentalism: Under challenge. 20. A New world order: An American game plan. 21. Constructing Indian society through films. 22. Terrorism. 23. Environment: In search of its saviours. 24. Ultra-Rightism and Extreme Nationalism. 25. Degrading environment: a Challenge Greater than thermonuclear war. 26. Human Rights: Double Standards. 27. Panchayati Raj: Power to the people. 28. Politics and Religion: does it need a Berlin Wall? 29. Reservation: Imperfect Policy, Perfect Politics. Bibliography.

This book begins from the establishment of the Company Raj and goes up to the end of the 20th century. It deals about the formation of colonial policies, protest against the system of exploitation as a result of the establishment of a well defined colonial structure in 18th and 19th century, gradual emergence of national consciousness against the company and British Raj and a movement of liberation by the people of India against the colonial superstructure. Accordingly, the book has been divided into four different parts, namely, (a) Colonial policy, (b) Popular Movement (c) National Emancipation and (d) Post colonial concerns. This book has been written with a motive towards teaching of contemporary India’s history to the students and also for the preparation of IAS aspirants. Students and teachers of Modern Indian History and IAS aspirants will find the book useful.