India After Gandhi Revised and Updated Edition: The History of the World's Largest Democracy

These are the kind of history books I most like to read: broad overviews of vast stretches of history, written in an accessible yet scholarly and well-researched manner. Guha points out in the intro that historians have traditionally focused more on the colonial period than on recent Indian history, as if that period was more interesting. He makes a good case for recent Indian history's importance and drama, telling a tale of religious upheaval, political turmoil, a few insurgencies, idealistic heroes, cynical scoundrels, social change, some horrible riots, economic growth, wars with Pakistan and China, and a few interesting figures with multiple sides to their personalities (namely, Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay). Although it's a huge, long book, Guha rarely conveys the impression that he's dwelling for too long on any particular topic. I did think he gives the Nehru era a little more coverage considering its duration, but considering that this is when the foundation of modern India was laid, it's justifiable. He also devotes two whole chapters to the Jayaprakash Narayan movement and the ensuing Emergency, but since this was a dramatic time when India's future as a democracy was imperiled, it's also understandable. He does a weird thing for the last volume and focuses on the last two decades thematically rather than chronologically; I'm not sure why. This has its ups and downs; although we can follow certain themes more clearly when they're not cluttered with other issues, it also sacrifices that 'timeline' feel that's so important to history books, and we sadly lose the political narrative. He never discusses the prime ministers during this period except in other contexts, for instance. I would've liked a little examination of A.B. Vajpayee. Finally, I appreciate the chapter about pop culture in the end. Pop culture is as important to defining a nation's character as anything else and has a great deal of impact on ordinary people, but historians, fixated on politics and society, usually overlook it. My complaints are minor. Guha is Indian, so unsurprisingly he is somewhat biased at times. His main thesis, which opens and ends the book, is that India doesn't get enough credit from foreigners for its triumphs. True, he makes a good argument, but you could also argue that it doesn't get enough criticism from locals considering its many, many problems. (When your main defence is essentially, "Hey, at least we haven't fallen apart"... you've got issues.) His coverage of the Indo-Pakistani conflict is (subtly) biased towards India. Pakistan is always shown in a negative light. Also, he is very nostalgic, and always full of praise for Nehru and his cohorts, against whom modern politicians are nothing but a bunch of scumbags. These complaints aside, this is still a fascinating, informative read, which covers pretty much all the bases and strikes the right scholarly-but-not-boring tone. I recommend it to anyone with any kind of interest in India.

This is the book I had been waiting for most of my adult life, but never knew it had already come into existence a few years back. Somehow, all my life all I could remember about reading "Indian" history was the ancient glory that India was, the dynamic multicultural land it became during the middle times of the great Mughals, and the emaciated mess it became under the later British imperialism. True to what Guha mentions, "Indian" historical studies somehow stopped their narratives at the stroke of midnight of August 15, 1947. But, what happened thereafter from 1947 to the late 80s? Despite being an educated and enlightened citizen of my country, I was unaware, admittedly. Until I read this work of extraordinary scholarly persuasions. This books touches upon so many different aspects that the newly created state of "India" had to undergo and suffer. While the more well known north Indian and Bengal specific issues (namely, the ills of partition between India and Pakistan on Punjab, and the mess between East Pakistan and Bengal) are usually talked of in the context of the immediate aftermath of Independence and partition, numerous other (and dare I say equally important, if not more) issues like the ceding of north-eastern States into the Indian republic, the demands of people based on linguistic identities across the country, and the issue of independence of Kashmir, amongst many others, are brilliantly retold in Guha's magnificently succinct and clear style. Guha is unabashedly a Gandhian, a Marxist and a Nehruvian. This great book is no doubt influenced from that particular orientation. But, in all fairness, Guha has done a commendable job of being as objective as humanly possible. After all, all "history" is what the historian says. If you ever wished to know how the fleeting and fluid concept of "Bharat" metamorphosed into a coherent and distinct republic called "India", which incidentally at the time of independence consisted of roughly 530 distinct, independent and separate princely states, your journey stops here.

This book is a good read. Author has done justice to India's fabric by not taking any sides - Hindu/ Muslim, Centre/ State, Hindi/ Tamil, Congress/ BJP, India/ Pakistan. His version of India's recent history reads like he could overcome his prejudice (or maybe he does not have many). He is written it very sensibly as if he were trying not to offend everyone. History is a tricky subject. Plenty of authors out there who write it colored. Ram has side-stepped that temptation. He uses detail and yet does not. It's a long book but a very easy read at the same time. I would especially recommend this book for Indians because we are taught something else in our classrooms. We need a balanced view more than anyone else because our State is trying to teach us a very badly coloured version of history and our Politico/ bureaucrats keep on tweaking our history every year. My history book (too socialist, bit honest) was nothing like my parents' (mostly British view of India's history) or my daughter's (too soft and yet Nationalist). It does not mean Ram's book is a bad read for non-Indians. Just that there are no snake charmers/ sadhus/ magic in this book. This book is not for virtual tourists or any kind of fanatics. Also not for businessmen looking for a reason to justify investment into or out of India. If someone were looking for one source of Indian history 1945 onwards, this is a great source. Lot's of great historians out there but hardly anyone has taken the trouble to put it in one volume. I think its a very good read for young Indians plus anyone else in the world who knows a little about India and wants to know more. Taking one star away just because Ram is too balanced. He refrains from plain-speak. I guess it's mostly because he is an Indian living in India and he has to deal with the consequences of what he writes. Maybe he did not want to anger too many people. Living amongst emotional people in a weak state does not help I guess.

Last year I set out to at least partially cure my embarrassing lack of knowledge of India and her neighbors. I was also fascinated by Mahatma Gandhi but knew little other than his stand on violence and political protest. Lucky for me, I chose to read author Ramachandra Guha's award-winning masterpiece trilogy; 'Gandhi before India', 'Gandhi 1914-1948', and 'India After Gandhi' to start the process. This was a massive and comprehensive effort on Guha's part and I believe he succeeded. 'India After Gandhi' takes the reader from Indian independence in 1948 through about 2016. It is insightful, well-written, detailed. People not versed in India or her politics may be a bit overwhelmed by the detail and hundreds of names, but I don't see how to avoid the bulk and still have a complete book. So I would encourage anyone with an interest to consider this trilogy. At least 4.5 stars.

I love his work on "Gandhi before India" and this is his second installment but on Indian democracy (read - not on Gandhi, his forte). Guha attempts to answer very important questions on why democracy survives in India while there have been multiple coupes in Pakistan, tragic civil wars in Sri Lanka and unsuccesful attempts to keep democracy intact after independence in Nepal/Burma/African countries and some intresting discussions on social fault lines on US which dont exists in India (Hispanic vs White/others). Reading this book and others (e.g. Nehru: The Invention Of India - Shashi Tharoor) I am now able to appreciate the monumental task which lied ahead of triumvirate of Indian Independence struggle (read again .. no Gandhi here) of integrating ~545 princely states into one nation, setting up IAS/ICS to conduct first free and fair elections (1951) and finally writing a truly secular and inclusive Constitution for protecting lowest strata of indian society (ScheduleTribes/Castes) at that time. The arguments, discussions went in during that constituent assembly are also well documented in this book with good rationale. He has put good arguments to convince you that the triumvirate (- Nehru, Patel & Ambedkar) lived long enough after India's independence to finish the most important tasks while other countries it didnt happened so democracy perished. This books highlights the struggle a newly born nation had to go through to modernize not only in economic sense (5 year plan for agriculture/industry) but also bringing in revolutionary bills in parliaments (Hindu Marriage Act) to keep pushing society for equal rights for every citizen. Good data and references are present in this book which ends up making this book a bulky one but worth it. Book also goes into details on the usual hot buttons in political history - rise and fall of Indira Gandhi, all wars with neighbours (Pakistan/China), pogroms (1984, 2002), Kashmir problem, Babri Majid demolition, Mandal Commision and even economic liberation steps taken by politicians in 1990s. Perhaps most enjoyable parts of the book will be the commentary observed on most important politicians during that time because these action/reactions by most important people in power provides you a window into the thought process in their head which you otherwise never observe in noisy newpaper headlines :) This book actually tells you why a single language/culture/religion is not *the* only way a modern nation can survive ! The western concept of *mono* language/religion as the most essential ingredient for the survival of a nation theory is debunked successfully here. Indian democracy is a case study, and its thriving despite its flaws and this book will provide you with one :)

Most Indians, view India's history as a period before 1947, independence struggle or mainly last 1000 years of kingly rule. So unless you are an avid news reader or prepared for IAS (Indian Administrative Services) exam, chances are that post 1947 period is largely viewed as contemporary period where three wars with Pakistan and one with China are the only main events. After independence in 1947, a fragile India was largely predicted to disintegrate within 20 years. However, India with all its complexities has proven the world wrong, and has come a long way. So it is the events and characters after independence that have largely defined the story of a modern, democratic and secular India. This is a story of all ups and down since 1947. I have to mention here that, many people in their reviews have been critical of Guha's largely positive portrayal of Nehru-Gandhi family. This is a matter of debate and long discussion but it does not change the fact that Nehru-Gandhi family has had a lasting impact on the direction taken by independent India and its democracy. Just a glance at our western neighbor immediately illustrates the point, as to what could have happened. So one cannot write history of independent India without portrayal of Nehru-Gandhi family. Bravo !!! Ramachandra Guha. Bravo.

Born against a background of privation and civil war, divided along lines of caste, class, language and religion, independent India emerged, somehow, as a united and democratic country. This remarkable book tells the full story--the pain and the struggle, the humiliations and the glories--of the world's largest and least likely democracy. Ramachandra Guha writes compellingly of the myriad protests and conflicts that have peppered the history of free India. But he writes also of the factors and processes that have kept the country together (and kept it democratic), defying numerous prophets of doom who believed that its poverty and heterogeneity would force India to break up or come under autocratic rule. Once the Western world looked upon India with a mixture of pity and contempt; now it looks upon India with fear and admiration. Moving between history and biography, this story of modern India is peopled with extraordinary characters. Guha gives fresh insights on the lives and public careers of those long-serving prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. There are vivid sketches of the major "provincial" leaders whose province was as large as a European country: the Kashmiri rebel turned ruler Sheikh Abdullah; the Tamil film actor turned politician M. G. Rama-chandran; the Naga secessionist leader Angami Zapu Phizo; the socialist activist Jayaprakash Narayan. But the book also writes with feeling and sensitivity about lesser known (though not necessarily less important) Indians--peasants, tribals, women, workers and musicians. Well researched and nicely written, India After Gandhi is at once a magisterial account of India's rebirth and the work of a thoughful and reflective scholar at the height of his powers.

Guha has articulated all the major events and people in Indian politics since independence. For most part his writing and description of events is unbiased. I am writing this review after about 1 year of reading this book and I can say a lot of information is still there in my head thanks to the simplistic and yet gripping tone of Guha's writing. I'd this book should be considered as a surface sweep of Indian politics and sort of gives you the table of contents. After reading you can choose for your self which set of events you would like to go deeper. Political history needs time and patience to grasp in. One reading of this might not suffice a lot people. You will have to read more books similar to this one to revisit a lot of major events in Indian politics. Different perspectives to events helps create a more clearer and detailed picture of events, after all we are dealing with history here and memory is nothing but a personal expression of ones own senses. I'd say this book is for anyone who wants to know about Inidan political history. But please do not consider your self an expert on politics after this 900 page book. Politics when described in books is void of violence, tears , emotions and most importantly truth.

Dr. Guha has captured the muddled wonder that is India--a country that defies logic but works in its own exuberant fashion. Contradictions abound but seem to sort themselves out in an odd way. It is impossible for those who did not grow up in those giddy post-Independence years to realize how exciting it was. To those of us who were in school, the future was bright, all seemed possible. The leaders did not hide themselves behind walls of security--Nehru, in particular, was visible and cheered wherever went. I played cricket in the backyard of Dr. Radhakrishnan's home when he was VP and casually walked through his bedroom. Things fell apart later as Dr.Guha details in this richly detailed book.

Good objective and detailed history of post independence period. Highly recommended!

Probably the best history book I have read. I am of Indian origin but I have never lived in India (I moved to the UK at a young age). While I have visited India for business reasons many times in the past, I am now frequent tourist/traveller to India. As I traveled more to India, and became more in touch with my ancestral origins, I wanted to get a better understanding of contemporary Indian history. This book achieved that perfectly. Superbly researched, appropriately detailed coverage of the key episodes of India's recent past and written in a such an engaging style that it was hard to put down. The book has given me a good understanding of the key individuals that shaped/are shaping India and the (almost existential) crises that India has faced since Independence. Now that I have a feel of contemporary Indian history, so much of what I see/read/hear when in India makes more sense. The author is excellent at giving a balanced view during (almost) the entire book, drawing on testimony form various viewpoints so that the reader has a broad appreciation of all of the perspectives at the time. This makes his coverage of Kashmir, Emergency Rule, China's invasion, war with Pakistan, market reforms in the 1990s, rise of the BJP etc. etc. so much more interesting and informative. If I have one criticism it is that the author goes too much into editorial mode towards the end of the book when he covers Modi (spoiler - he is not a Modi fan!).

This is my perosnal views. But author was completely biased towards Congress. I am not BJP supporter. Rather interested in facts but the facts presented is just to prove that how others are wrong and only good work is done by Congress. There was all negative about BJP and Modi. Last few sections which mention about Modi but linked with half truth.

I loved this book and the way Mr. Guha has covered different topics it is impressing. I have started reading lots of book about India after reading this one and getting different perspectives. It gives you a really in depth view about the events that took place in duration of 40 years after Independence.