Covering the last two centuries of Indian history, this book traces the emergence of India as one of the world's largest democracies through the process of interaction between a stable society with a rich cultural heritage, and forces emanating from the industrializing west. The foundations of this rare poliitcal phenomenon in Asia or Africa are seen in India's society, the ideas and beliefs of her peoples, and the institutions of government and politics which have developed on the subcontinent. The first book to incorporate the revisionist research of the 1970s, Modern India offers a new and exciting understanding of the resources, patterns, and problems of Indian political life at all levels.