Hamza Alavi

South Asia (Sociology of "Developing Societies" Series) Hamza Alavi

This collection of readings provides an interpretation of the development of contemporary South Asia and covers India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The approach taken is concerned particularly with ways in which class relations are mediated in South Asia and the focus is on ideological and political issues rather than on economic processes. At the same time, the book is intended to signpost and to introduce the wider literature on South Asia and to offer introductory reviews of major areas of debate; over the understanding of caste and ethnicity, interpretation of the impact of colonial capitalist development, analysis of the post-colonial state and trends of economic development and models of political process.