Author Description
This book is about the ideas regarding the concept of the term "development" which emerged in circa 1930-50. It is a study of the formative period in history when the underlying notions of progress, self-government, and nation building were articulated. The author considers how the notions were driven by immediate political battles, yet inspired by a vision of the future that incorporated notions of sovereignty and equity.Drawing on a variety of intellectual resources, the author analyses three themes around development: the importance of science and technology, the need for the government to express certain social concerns, and the need for national discipline. The argument is that alternative notions of development-consciously different from those based on free trade and industrialization could emerge in the inter-war period, when the future of capitalism did not appear as assured as they did in the nineteenth century. This book opens up a new arena in the historiography of South Asia, that of an intellectual history of late colonialism in India, and of the nationalism that succeeded it.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This book investigates the intellectual origins and social construction of the concept of 'development' within the Indian context during the critical inter-war period of 1930 to 1950. Dr. Benjamin Zachariah, a scholar of South Asian history, utilizes a diverse array of primary intellectual resources to examine how notions of progress, sovereignty, and nation-building were articulated. He argues that this era allowed for the emergence of alternative developmental models that challenged the prevailing nineteenth-century assumptions regarding free trade and industrialization.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- An analysis of the intellectual history of late colonialism in India and the subsequent nationalist movements.
- Examination of three core developmental themes: the role of science and technology, government-led social welfare, and the implementation of national discipline.
- A historical study of the inter-war period, specifically focusing on the years 1930 to 1950.
- A critical evaluation of how political battles and visions of future equity shaped the definition of national progress.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars recognize this work as a significant contribution to the historiography of South Asia, particularly for its focus on the intellectual underpinnings of post-colonial statecraft. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a foundational text for those studying the intersection of colonial history and developmental theory.
Page Count:
368
Publication Date:
2012-12-02
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0198086075
ISBN-13:
9780198086079
History
India
India historiography
Intellectual History
Colonialism
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