Independent India, 1947-2000

Independent India is an exploration of Indias national history from independence in 1947 to the end of the twentieth century. Wendy Singer charts the rapid development of this emerging world power by following a series of different narratives crucial to the history of post-independence India: national integrations, the ongoing development of arts and culture, social movements, and political change.

In telling the broader history of political movements and cultural transformations from different perspectives, this book provides key examples that demonstrate the experiences of women and men from the many classes and cultures that comprise modern India. In keeping with the series as a whole, this text also provides a range of primary source documents both to illuminate that history and to show the rich resources and unique challenges involved in writing contemporary history.

Key features include:

• Thematic chapters within a chronological structure, incorporating different approaches to the study of history
•  A varied range of primary sources, demonstrating the diversity of material available
• In-depth social, cultural and political analysis, including the study of regional identities, film, literature, gender, politics and economic change

Investigating Indias recent national history from a range of angles, this new Seminar Studies volume is an essential introduction for anyone who wishes to learn more about the important place that India, the worlds largest democracy, has in our global age.

Wendy Singer is the Roy T. Wortman Professor of History at Kenyon College.  Her research focuses on the social and cultural histories of politics and political movements in India. She is author, most recently, of A Constituency Suitable for Ladies and other Social Histories of Indian Elections.