This book investigates the historical and political construction of the concept of 'communalism' within the context of colonial India. Gyanendra Pandey, a prominent historian of modern India, challenges the conventional understanding of communalism as a primitive relic. He argues that both nationalism and communalism are modern constructs emerging from the Age of Colonialism, Reason, and Capital, and that understanding these concepts is essential to grasping the formation of contemporary Indian society and politics.

Scholars and historians frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the discursive construction of identity in South Asia. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which requires a strong background in postcolonial theory and Indian history to fully appreciate the author's nuanced arguments.