Review:
'Christophe Jaffrelot, a long-time French scholar of South Asia, has written a fine overview of contemporary Pakistan ... [T]his book is a superb guide to the cultural and social roots of the Pakistan movement as well as of contemporary Pakistan.' --Stephen P. Cohen, India Today
'Broad in sweep and brimming with insights: this is an outstanding analysis of Pakistan s troubled trajectory by one of France s most perceptive scholars of South Asia. Jaffrelot offers a compelling assessment of a country held in stable instability by deep and unresolved historical contradictions centring on the rival claims of a centralised state against the appeal of ethno-nationalism; of an entrenched culture of authoritarianism (both civil and military) against popular opposition, and of an overarching discourse of 'Islam' against the language of cultural diversity. A tour de force that will make you think again about one of the most complex countries in the world.' --Farzana Sheikh, author of Making Sense of Pakistan
'This book is the most comprehensive exposé of the various paradoxes of contemporary politics in Pakistan: the riddle of how a Muslim nationalism in British India; the problematic democratisation of the post-military state in the absence of a strident civil society; and the progression of Islam from ideology to policy, underscored by a widening chasm between Islamists and modernists, between Muslims and non-Muslims, and between Sunnis and sectarian minorities. A monumental work.' --Mohammad Waseem, Professor of Political Science at Department of Social Sciences, Lahore University of Management Sciences
From the Author:
Christophe Jaffrelot is Research Director at CNRS and teaches South Asian Politics and History at Sciences Po (Paris). From 2000-8, he was Director of CERI at Sciences Po. Arguably one of the world's most respected writers on Indian society and politics, his publications include India's Silent Revolution: The Rise of the Lower Castes in North India; Religion, Caste and Politics in India; and Muslims in Indian Cities, all of which are published by Hurst.
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