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Review
Guha sees India as well on its way to finding its rightful place in the sun -- Christian Science Monitor
Review
'fascinating, carefully researched history.'
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I learned a lot about the recent history of this intriguing country from this book. Much of the coverage is devoted to political history and many of the other topics that are discussed, e.g. wars with Pakistan and China, communal violence, economic development, secessionist movements etc are also framed in a political context. Content that I particularly enjoyed reading about included: the development of the constitution, establishment of the federal structure, the relationship between free India and the Princely States, caste and adivasi conflict, and the response to the refugee crisis arising from partition.
`India after Gandhi' is well written, entertaining and packed full of references. In some places the author does appear to adopt a rather partisan position with respect to relations with Pakistan. However, he also very forcefully portrays the challenges faced by the Muslim minority in the country, whom it may be suggested have been the principal victims of the half century of Indo-Pak tension.
I have also read John Keay's `India: A History' and feel that `India After Gandhi' is a far better choice for those seeking an understanding of the country and it's people.
`India after Gandhi' is well written, entertaining and packed full of references. In some places the author does appear to adopt a rather partisan position with respect to relations with Pakistan. However, he also very forcefully portrays the challenges faced by the Muslim minority in the country, whom it may be suggested have been the principal victims of the half century of Indo-Pak tension.
I have also read John Keay's `India: A History' and feel that `India After Gandhi' is a far better choice for those seeking an understanding of the country and it's people.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Ramachandra Guha's study presents Indian political and social history.
Much of the material covered within this text is difficult to find in a comparably accessible form elsewhere.
Guha pays detailed attention to metropolitan politics in Delhi, yet provides discussion of regions such as Keralan and Tamil political history. There is an emphasis on political history within Guha's study; however this interest is developed in the broadest sense. The struggles of indigenous peoples in Central India and in the North East of the subcontinent are accessibly presented. The Naga peoples of the North Eastern frontier feature prominently.
A further strength of Guha's book is his discussion of foreign affairs. As might be expected a great deal of attention is given to India/ Pakistan relations (specifically through the Kashmir question) and this is handled well. Guha is attentive too India's situation between superpowers during the Cold War. Washington-Delhi relations are amply covered, as are both Soviet and Sino- Indian affairs.
Guha closes his historical narrative with the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and covers the very recent past in a series of thematic essays. These essays read rather differently to the synthesis performed so well throughout the earlier stages of this book yet contain much information about topics as diverse as communal conflict, economic liberalization and public health. Guha places these contemporary thematic discussions in a long term perspective. For those who wish to pursue these themes in greater depth a detailed bibliography is provided.
Overall, this book offers an extremely useful and readable account of post-1947 Indian history.
Much of the material covered within this text is difficult to find in a comparably accessible form elsewhere.
Guha pays detailed attention to metropolitan politics in Delhi, yet provides discussion of regions such as Keralan and Tamil political history. There is an emphasis on political history within Guha's study; however this interest is developed in the broadest sense. The struggles of indigenous peoples in Central India and in the North East of the subcontinent are accessibly presented. The Naga peoples of the North Eastern frontier feature prominently.
A further strength of Guha's book is his discussion of foreign affairs. As might be expected a great deal of attention is given to India/ Pakistan relations (specifically through the Kashmir question) and this is handled well. Guha is attentive too India's situation between superpowers during the Cold War. Washington-Delhi relations are amply covered, as are both Soviet and Sino- Indian affairs.
Guha closes his historical narrative with the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and covers the very recent past in a series of thematic essays. These essays read rather differently to the synthesis performed so well throughout the earlier stages of this book yet contain much information about topics as diverse as communal conflict, economic liberalization and public health. Guha places these contemporary thematic discussions in a long term perspective. For those who wish to pursue these themes in greater depth a detailed bibliography is provided.
Overall, this book offers an extremely useful and readable account of post-1947 Indian history.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Ramachandra Guha has written a straightforward narative of the experience of India since Independence in 1947. The focus is primarily on political events but not at the expense of trying to get a view of the bigger picture.
I wouldnt consider it a great book of analysis, but as an introduction to post independence India it is more than adequate. Many colourful characters populate this history, this most admirable being Nehru himself, unfortunately a Hindu extremist knocked off Gandhi not long after the "great adventure" of Indian independence began with the bloody fiasco of partition which itself is covered in some detail. Indira Gandhi (Nehrus daughter) and the authoress of the "emergency" in the mid seventies comes across as arrogant and authoritarian and brimming with sufficient self belief to be more than a nuisance to her country. Her off spring are more or less worse. This is one of the sadder things about post Independence India, the dynasties which ought to be regarded as a degeneration of democracy. Given recent US experience it is not something the West, especially the US, should feel to smug about. More optimistically at least, unlike neighbouring Pakistan, the army has been kept out of politics.
Its hardly suprising that communal relations and all too often violence, regional antagonisms, Kashmir and Pakistan take up a great deal of the narrative. The monstrosity of the caste system is covered, including a photo of an upper caste Hindu immolating himself in defence of his caste privileges - one wonders if those wealthy Brits recently hit by the 50% tax rate will follow his example?
I feel that the author makes too much of the fact that India survived as a democracy, the designation appears purely formal. Monied interests, corrupt politicians rule the roost - the lower castes, tribals (Dalits), rural society have not felt the trickle down effect of Indias high tech sector and have made only sporadic progress over the 60 years since the British left. Political parties seem short on principles and are often communal in nature, this of course is not something particular to India, but from reading Guhas book it is clearly something the Indian political class excels at. The author is unfortunately cool towards the exceptions to this rule such as the Communists in West Bengal and Kerala. I would have thought that the experiences of those States under Communist rule would have been given more space. Alas not.
Having said all that, it is still a very readable narrative history that kept me well and truly hooked over the 750 pages and a good introduction to the experiment that has been independent India. Other books on India after independence that I have found interesting are Tariq Ali's The Nehrus and the Gandhis: An Indian Dynasty and P.Sainath's collection of reportage on rural India Everybody Loves a Good Drought: Stories from India's Poorest Districts.
I wouldnt consider it a great book of analysis, but as an introduction to post independence India it is more than adequate. Many colourful characters populate this history, this most admirable being Nehru himself, unfortunately a Hindu extremist knocked off Gandhi not long after the "great adventure" of Indian independence began with the bloody fiasco of partition which itself is covered in some detail. Indira Gandhi (Nehrus daughter) and the authoress of the "emergency" in the mid seventies comes across as arrogant and authoritarian and brimming with sufficient self belief to be more than a nuisance to her country. Her off spring are more or less worse. This is one of the sadder things about post Independence India, the dynasties which ought to be regarded as a degeneration of democracy. Given recent US experience it is not something the West, especially the US, should feel to smug about. More optimistically at least, unlike neighbouring Pakistan, the army has been kept out of politics.
Its hardly suprising that communal relations and all too often violence, regional antagonisms, Kashmir and Pakistan take up a great deal of the narrative. The monstrosity of the caste system is covered, including a photo of an upper caste Hindu immolating himself in defence of his caste privileges - one wonders if those wealthy Brits recently hit by the 50% tax rate will follow his example?
I feel that the author makes too much of the fact that India survived as a democracy, the designation appears purely formal. Monied interests, corrupt politicians rule the roost - the lower castes, tribals (Dalits), rural society have not felt the trickle down effect of Indias high tech sector and have made only sporadic progress over the 60 years since the British left. Political parties seem short on principles and are often communal in nature, this of course is not something particular to India, but from reading Guhas book it is clearly something the Indian political class excels at. The author is unfortunately cool towards the exceptions to this rule such as the Communists in West Bengal and Kerala. I would have thought that the experiences of those States under Communist rule would have been given more space. Alas not.
Having said all that, it is still a very readable narrative history that kept me well and truly hooked over the 750 pages and a good introduction to the experiment that has been independent India. Other books on India after independence that I have found interesting are Tariq Ali's The Nehrus and the Gandhis: An Indian Dynasty and P.Sainath's collection of reportage on rural India Everybody Loves a Good Drought: Stories from India's Poorest Districts.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
a very informative book
As someone who knows almost nothing at all about India, I've learnt a great deal about India from the book. (It's a bit too long and too details-oriented). Read more
Published on 11 Oct 2009 by Yu Liu
Phipty-phipty
Come to think of it, the USA and India share many features of their past. Both emerged from the colonial experience of the British Empire; both were large and doubled their... Read more
Published on 16 Sep 2009 by Aldo Matteucci
Readable, comprehensive and well-researched
This one of the most readable histories of India post-1948 to the present. Understanding those 60 years is a herculean task in itself but Guha sets himself a greater challenge: he... Read more
Published on 6 Aug 2009 by Parvati P.
First chapter of the book seems RSS approved
I have just started to read this book. Having read through the introduction and the first chapter, it gives me an impression that the author has coveniently missed mentioning the... Read more
Published on 13 Jun 2009 by reader
An Eye Opener
Growing up in the 70's in the political capital of India, a lot of questions about the Union of India remained unanswered. Read more
Published on 3 May 2009 by Soumitra D. BURMAN
well written but analytically weak.
Ramachandra Guha is a leading secular intellectual with 'clean hands' in that he is not a closet Marxist drooling over the prospect of a culling of the kulaks, or a Religious... Read more
Published on 27 Mar 2009 by windwheel
If you want to know about India..this is a must read
Being an Indian and having read numerous books before and during independence struggle, I always wanted to read a book which could tell me what has been happening since... Read more
Published on 30 Sep 2008 by Akhil Kumar
Well written, deeply researched and engaging
'India after Gandhi' is a well written book about India's history after independence from Britain. This is a period which is not usually covered in book written for the general... Read more
Published on 8 April 2008 by Rajesh Athiyarath
A stunning political history
At over two inches thick, this book is, at first sight, more than a little daunting. Open it up, though and you will find the work of true master of historical and political... Read more
Published on 19 Jan 2008 by Alan Lenton
amazingly...
authorative book that covers 60 years of intricate history and political/social change remarkably well. A wealth of information and written in a very objective fashion. Read more
Published on 19 Nov 2007 by 101
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