Provincial Democracy: Political Imaginaries at the End of Empire in Twentieth-Century South India

Provincial Democracy explores the period between the decline of empire and the rise of the nation, characterized by the dominance of the nation-state, debates over a new global order, and the expansion of democratic participation in defining and negotiating political futures. It shifts the focus from linguistic nationalism to debates over representation, rights, political reforms, and federalism, uncovering a broad perspective on political imaginaries that anticipated democracy in independent India.

Format: Hardback
Length: 300 pages
Publication date: 30 June 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

In the backdrop of seismic global transformations of the early twentieth century, marked by the two World Wars and the crisis of the imperial order, Provincial Democracy delves into the transformative era between the decline of empire and the emergence of the nation. This period, as the book argues, is characterized by the dominance of the nation-state, ongoing discussions about a new global order, and a significant expansion of democratic participation in shaping and negotiating political futures. Additionally, there is a notable increase in the use of liberalism, political rights, and self-government terminology in colonial India. Furthermore, this text shifts the focus away from the prevailing narrative of linguistic nationalism as the sole defining factor of regionalism towards debates encompassing representation, rights, political reforms, and federalism. By doing so, it unveils a comprehensive perspective on political imaginaries that foreshadowed the democratic aspirations of independent India.

In the context of seismic global transformations of the early twentieth century, marked by the two World Wars and the crisis of the imperial order, Provincial Democracy delves into the transformative era between the decline of empire and the emergence of the nation. This period, as the book argues, is characterized by the dominance of the nation-state, ongoing discussions about a new global order, and a significant expansion of democratic participation in shaping and negotiating political futures. Additionally, there is a notable increase in the use of liberalism, political rights, and self-government terminology in colonial India. Furthermore, this text shifts the focus away from the prevailing narrative of linguistic nationalism as the sole defining factor of regionalism towards debates encompassing representation, rights, political reforms, and federalism. By doing so, it unveils a comprehensive perspective on political imaginaries that foreshadowed the democratic aspirations of independent India.

Weight: 458g
Dimension: 163 x 239 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781009339544