Democracy and Authoritarianism in South Asia
A Comparative and Historical Perspective

A comparative and historical study of the interplay between democratic politics and authoritarian states in South Asia.

Ayesha Jalal (Author)

9780521478625, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 6 April 1995

312 pages, 5 maps
22.7 x 15.3 x 2 cm, 0.49 kg

'Jalal's real contribution lies, I think, in reminding us that within the region of South Asia, it is not ethnicity itself that is a problem, but the state structures from within which it arises.' The Times Higher Education Supplement

In a comparative and historical study of the interplay between democratic politics and authoritarian states in South Asia, Ayesha Jalal explains how a shared colonial legacy led to apparently contrasting patterns of political development - democracy in India and authoritarianism in Pakistan and Bangladesh. The analysis shows how, despite differences in form, central political authority in each state came to confront similar threats from regional and linguistic dissidence, religious and sectarian strife, as well as class and caste conflicts. By comparing state structures and political processes, the author evaluates and redefines democracy, citizenship, sovereignty and the nation-state, arguing for a more decentralized governmental structure. This original and provocative study will challenge students and scholars in the field to rethink traditional concepts of democracy and authoritarianism in South Asia.

l. The colonial legacy in India and Pakistan
2. State formation and political processes in India and Pakistan, 1947–1971
3. The 'populist' era and its aftermath in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, 1971–1993
4. The state and political economy: 1947–1993
5. Central power and regional dissidence
6. Societies, cultures and ideologies: hybrids in contrived monoliths.

Subject Areas: International relations [JPS], Political structures: democracy [JPHV], Political structure & processes [JPH], Cultural studies [JFC]