Author: Sumit Sarkar
Publisher: Macmillan
Year: 2010
Language: English
Pages: 486
ISBN/UPC (if available): 0333904257
Description
This work has a twofold aim. It attempts a synthesis of the massive data unearthed in recent years on specific problems in political, social and economic history. At the same time it explores, the possibilities of a 'history from below' as distinct from activities, ideals or factional maneuvers of leaders.
Easier access to archives and the opening of numerous collections of private papers have led to a flood of monographs on the history of late nineteenth and early twentieth century India. The emphasis of these has been largely on specific problems, movements or regions, and there has been relatively little attempt to synthesize the new data incorporating the recent research. This book attempts such a synthesis keeping the anti-imperialist struggle as its central focus while trying also to place it within the totality of economic, socio-cultural and political development of late colonial India.
The historiography of ;modern India and its freedom struggle has often tended to have an elitist bias, concentrating on the activities, ideals or factional maneuvers of leading groups at various levels. This work tries to explore, in the light of the author's own research, some of the rich possibilities of a 'history from below'. The shift in focus towards tribal, peasants and workers is shown to involve important changes in our whole understanding of modern Indian history.
This book contains reading lists for those who wish to examine the plethora of research work on the subject. The book should prove of help to everyone interested in modern Indian history.
Contents
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Change and Continuity
Old and New Approaches
CHAPTER II
1885-1905 : POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC STRUCTURE
IMPERIAL STRUCTURE AND POLICIES
Viceregal Attitudes
Foreign Policy
Army
Financial and Administrative Pressures
Local Self Government and Council Reform
Divide and Rule
White Racism
THE COLONIAL ECONOMY
Drain of Wealth
Deindustrialization
Commercialization of Agriculture
Land Relations
Agricultural Production
Foreign Capital
Indian capitalist Development
CHAPTER III
1885-1905 : SOCIAL AND POLITICAL MNOVEMENTS
TOWARDS A 'HISTORY FROM BELOW'
Tribal Movements
Phadke
Moplahs
Deccan Riots
Pabna
No-Revenue Movements
Caste Consciousness
Labour
BUSINESS GROUPS AND UPPER CLASSES
Business Groups
Princes and Zamindars
'MIDDLE-CLASS' CONSCIOUSNESS AND POLITICS
Social Roots of the Intelligentsia
Hindu Reform and Revival
Trends in Indian Islam
Patriotism in Literature
Nationalist Economic Theory
Foundations of the Congress
The Moderate Congress : Objectives and Methods
Phase of Moderate Politics
Roots of Extremism
CHAPTER IV
1905-1917 : POLITICAL AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
THE VICEROYALTY OF CURZON
Foreign Policy
Administrative Reforms
Curzon and NationalistS
Partition of Bengal
1905-1908 : THE SWADESHI MOVEMENT IN BENGAL
Trends
Boycott and Swedishi
National Education
Labour Unrest
Samities
Hindu-Muslim Relations
The Shift to Terrorism
1005 - 1908 : EXTREMISM IN OTHER PROVINCES
Punjab
Madras
Maharashtra
The Congress Split
1909-1914 : REPRESSION, CONCILATION AND DIVIDE AND RULE
Morley and Minto
Simla Deputation and Muslim League
Revolutionary Terrorism
WAR AND INDIA POLITICS
Revolutionary Activities
Unity at Lucknow
Home Rule Agitation
1905-1917 : MOVEMENTS FROM BELOW
Tribal revolts
Peasant Movements
Communalism
Caste Movements
Regional Sentiments and Languages
CHAPTER V
1917-1927 : MASS NATIONALISM-EMERGENCE AND PROBLEMS
WAR, REFORMS AND SOCIETY
The Montford Reforms
Impact of War
MAHATMA GANDHI
The Appeal of Gandhi
The Role of Rumour
Champaran, Kheda, Ahmedabad
ROWLATT SATYAGRAHA
1919-1920 : Leaders and Masses
Gandhi, Khilafat and the Congress
pressures from Below
1921-1922 : Non-Cooperation and Khilafat
The All-Indian Movement
Social Composition
Regional Variations
Chauri-Chaura
1922-1927 : DECLINE AND FRAGMENTATION
No-Changes and Swarajists
Nagpur, Barsad and Vaikom
Constructive Work
Swarajist Politics
Communalism
1922-1927 : EMERGENCY OF NEW FORCES
Political and Economic Tensions
Tribal and Peasant Movements
Caste Movements
Labour
Emergence of the Communists
Revolutionary Terrorism
Subhas and Jawaharlal
CHAPTER VI
1928-1937 : NATIONALIST ADVANCE AND ECONOMIC DEPORESSIONS
AN OVERVIEW
Cross-Currents in Politics
Depression and India
1928-1929 : SIMON BOYCOTT AND LABOUR UPSURGE
Simon Commission and Nehru Report
Youth Movements
The HSRA
Labour upsurge and the Communists
Peasant Movements and Bardoli
Business Attitudes
From Dominion Status to Purna Swaraj
1930-1931 : Civil Disobedience
Towards Salt Satyagraha
Chittagong, Peshawar, Sholapur
Phases of Civil Disobedience
Regional Studies
The Round Table Conference
Gandhi-Irwin Pact
MARCH-DECEMBER 1931 : UNEASY TRUCE
Ambiguities
Pressures from Below
Official Attitudes
1932-1934 : SECOND CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT
Repression and Resistance
Business Realignments
Harijan Campaign
Return to Council Politics
The Left Alternative
1935-1937 : THE CONSTITUTION AND THE CONGRESS
The 1935 Act
Labour and Kisan Movement
Leftism in Literature
Lucknow and Faizpur
Right Consolidation and Business Pressures
CHAPTER VII
1937-1945 : POLITICAL MOVEMENTS AND WAR
1937-1939 : THE CONGRESS MINISTRIES
Elections and Ministry-making
Congress and Bureaucracy
The Communal Problem
Gandhian Reforms
Capitalists and Congress
Congress and Labour
Congress and Kisans
States People Movement
The Left in the Congress
The Tripuri Crisis
1939-1942 : WAR AND INDIAN POLITICS-THE FIRST PHASE
Bureaucratic Counter-Offensive
League and Pakistan
Trends within the Congress
Economic Consequences
The New Phase of the War
Cripps Mission
1942-1945 : QUIT INDIA, FAMINE, AND THE LAST PHASE OF WAR
Roots of Rebellion
The All-India Pattern
Social Composition
Regional Variations
The War and the Indian EconomyùFamine
The super Profits
The Advance of the League
Azad Hind
Communists and People's War
CHAPTER VIII
1945-1947 : FREEDOM AND PARTITION
1945-1946 : 'THE EDGE OF A VOLCANO'
Prelude to Negotiations
Simla Conference
INA Trials
RIN Mutiny
1946 (MARCH-AUGUST : THE CABINET MISSION
Elections
Cabinet Mission
1946-1947 : COMMUNAL HOLOCAUSE AND PEASANT REBELLION
Calcutta, Noakhali, Bihar, Punjab
The Mahatma's Finest Hour
Tebhaga
Punnapra-Vayalar
Telengana
1947 : FREEDOM AND PARTITION
The Mountbatten Plan
Integration of States
The Fifteenth of August
Further Reading
Index