India and the World: A History of Connections, c. 1750–2000

by Claude Markovits

In this pioneering history of modern India, Claude Markovits offers a new interpretation of events of world importance, focusing on the multiplicity of connections between India and the world. Beginning with an examination of India's evolving role in the world economy, he deals successively with the movement of people out of and into India, the role played by Indian soldiers in a series of conflicts from the mid-eighteenth to the late twentieth century, the place of India in the global circulation of ideas and cultural productions and the relationships established between Indians and others both abroad and at home. Challenging dominant state-centred histories by focusing on the lived experiences of people, Markovits demonstrates that the multiple connections established between India and other lands did not necessarily result in mutual knowledge, but were often marked by misunderstanding.

Genres: History

304 pages, Hardcover

Published March 25, 2021

Reviews

[Ashutosh Mehndiratta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad I stumbled upon this hidden gem of a book. Covering 18th to the 21st centuries, it focuses on the global connectedness of events and developments in India and around the world - the World Wars, Cold War, Napoleonic era, Industrial Revolution, as well as experiences of Indian indentured labourers, sepoys, merchants abroad and in the opposite direction the interactions of people from Europe, Japan, China, Africa, the Middle East with India.

What makes this book unique is that the author, who is French, I believe, offers a fresh perspective compared to the overdose of British scholarship on India and India's past. Highly recommend this work to anyone interested in learning about India's modern history in a wider, global context.

[Venu Vangala · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling book on recent Indian history, exploring its interactions with the world, its role in the global economy, its contribution as a supplier of human resources, and its involvement in the World Wars as part of the British Indian Army. It also examines the export and import of cultural ideas. The perspective feels slightly unique, possibly due to the French author’s point of view.