Bharat  (English, Paperback, Guha Ramchandra)

Bharat: Gandhi Ke Baad Duniya Ke Vishaaltam Loktantra Ka Itihaas (Hindi) documents the history of India after it received independence from the British rule.

Summary Of The Book

Bharat: Gandhi Ke Baad Duniya Ke Vishaaltam Loktantra Ka Itihaas (Hindi) is a book that makes its mark starting from its title. Most history textbooks and reference texts end at the most important date in Indian history, 15 August 1947. In reality though, a large chunk of Indian history lies hidden in the era after independence. During this time, India and Indian democracy, survived vicious attacks and threats of division along the lines of religion, class, caste, and language. The republic of India has however remained strong and united. It’s this experience of our nation post-independence that fills the pages of this book.

Ramachandra Guha explains through this book the struggle, pain, and humiliation endured by the world’s largest democracy. He also writes about the large number of strikes, protests, and conflicts that haunted India for long. He, however, doesn’t stop at that. He also writes about the various Indian accomplishments that made the country proud during this period.

Considering the history of India, it’s certain that this nation would have had its fair share of extraordinary people. The readers will come across fresh insights and most likely view things in a different light when reading about these personalities. Guha then goes on to document the feelings and thoughts of the lesser-known people, such as the tribals, peasants, workers, and women, that make India what it is today.

Bharat: Gandhi Ke Baad Duniya Ke Vishaaltam Loktantra Ka Itihaas (Hindi) is extensively researched. Guha’s objectivity in studying and writing about India’s history is easily visible. The writing is elegant and the work is scholarly. The book is an easy read because Guha adopts a lucid style of narration.

About The Authors

Ramachandra Guha is a writer, historian, and professor at London School of Economics and Political Science.

His other titles include Ecology and Equity, A Corner of a Foreign Field: An Indian History of a British Sport, Environmentalism: A Global History, and Nature’s Spokesman: M. Krishnan and Indian Wildlife.

Guha was born in the capital city of Uttarakhand, Dehradun. After completing his schooling at The Doon School, he studied Economics at St. Stephen’s College and graduated with a BA degree. He received his MA degree from the Delhi School of Economics, and later enrolled into a fellowship programme at IIM-Calcutta, where he conducted research revolving Uttarakhand’s social history of forestry. He then went on to teach at many prestigious universities around the world. After returning to India, he settled in Bangalore and started writing full-time. He is the recipient of the R. K. Narayan Prize, the Sahitya Akademi Award, and the Padma Bhushan. In the year 2008, Guha was slotted at the 44th place in Foreign Policy magazine’s list of top 100 public intellectuals in the world.

Sushant Jha is currently the editorial consultant at Anishka Communications. In the past, he has written content as well as copy for organizations such as India News.