Defining a Nation: India on the Eve of Independence 1945

by Ainslie T. Embree

In the struggle to reconcile religious identity with nation building, Defining a India on the Eve of Independence, 1945 recreates one of the most intractable and important issues of the modern world. Part of the “Reacting to the Past” series, this text consists of a game in which students are assigned roles, informed by classic texts, set in a particular moment of intellectual and social ferment. The game is set at Simla, in the foothills of the Himalayas, where the British viceroy has invited leaders of various religious and political constituencies to work out the future of Britain’s largest colony.

184 pages, Paperback

First published June 23, 2005

About the author

Ainslie Thomas Embree

Reviews

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short but sophisticated text by two premiere historians of Asian history is a welcome addition to any course on India, colonialism, or world history. The book includes an elegant introduction to the main cultural, political, and historical issues that intersected at the time the British were leaving India. What kind of government should the people of India have? Who should rule? What about religious conflict, the untouchables, etc? Students take on real-life individuals and their world view to confront these ideas. I use this in an online course and have found it enhanced student engagement and gave them new ways to learn.

[Leandropiccinali86 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Básicamente el único libro que se dispone en la universidad pública argentina sobre la temática.