For more than half a century, Bipan Chandra has made unparalleled contribution to the study of modern Indian history. He is renowned worldwide as an authority on the subject, with a lucid and accessible style that has made him one of the most widely read and influential historians of our times. Bipan Chandra’s writings have profoundly influenced our understanding of the emergence of modern India, as well as of contemporary concerns that have their roots in the colonial past.

The Writings of Bipan Chandra: The Making of Modern India is a definitive collection of essays which depicts Bipan Chandra’s range of interests. It presents his views and positions qualified after an engagement of over fifty years with Independent India. The essays present a long-term perspective of the emergence of nationalism and the Indian national movement, with special emphasis on its Gandhian phase, and the nature of Indian capitalism and its relationship with imperialism and the national movement. They identify specificities of the colonial structure, and trace the possible paths of economic transformation until independence. The volume includes a critical appraisal of the Indian Left, and a nuanced understanding of the idea of secularism and emergence of communalism in India.

The introduction by Aditya Mukherjee is a fitting tribute from a former student and colleague. This volume is a celebration of the singular scholarship of perhaps the greatest living chronicler of the Indian national movement and after. It will be invaluable for students, teachers and everyone interested in the history and idea of India.

part  1

1. The Long-term dynamics: gandhiji and the Indian National Movement
2. Jawaharlal Nehru in Historical Perspective
3. Gandhiji, Secularism and Communalism
4. Pre-Gandhian Roots of Gandhian-era Politics 
5. The Making of the Indian Nation

part  2

6. Colonialism and Modernisation
7. Karl Marx, His Theories of Asian Societies and Colonial Rule
8. Transformation from a Colonial to an Independent Economy: A Case Study of India
9. Economic Nationalism

part  3

10. Introduction to Bhagat Singh: Why I Am an Atheist
11. Fundamentalism and Communalism
12. Enlightened History
13. ‘The End of History?’: A Review
14. ‘The Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy’: A Review

- Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, Former Chairman,

- Romila Thapar, Emeritus Professor of History Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi