Includes bibliographical references and index.

South Asian history : an introduction -- Modernity and antiquity : interpretations of ancient India -- Pre-modern accommodation of difference : the making of Indo-Islamic cultures -- The Mughal Empire : state, economy, and society -- India between empires : decline or decentralization? -- The transition to colonialism : resistance and collaboration -- The first century of British rule, 1757 to 1857 : state and economy -- Company Raj and Indian society, 1757 to 1857 : reinvention and reform of tradition -- 1857 : rebellion, collaboration, and the transition to Crown Raj -- High noon of colonialism, 1858 to 1914 : state and political economy -- A nation in making? : rational reform, religious revival, and Swadeshi nationalism, 1858 to 1914 -- Colonialism under siege : state and political economy after World War I -- Gandhian nationalism and mass politics : the 1920s -- The depression decade : society, economics, and politics -- Nationalism and colonialism during World War II and its aftermath : economic crisis and political confrontation -- The partition of India and the demand for Pakistan 1947 : its meaning and memory -- Post-colonial South Asia : state and economy, society, and politics, 1947-1971 -- Post-colonial South Asia : state and economy, society, and politics, 1971-2003 -- Decolonizing South Asia : the view from a new millennium.

Drawing on the newest and most sophisticated historical research and scholarship in the field, Modern South Asia provides a challenging insight for those with an intellectual curiosity about the region. After sketching the pre-modern history of the subcontinent, the book concentrates on the last three centuries."--Page 4 of cover