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The present volume entitled “History of India: The 20th Century” is part of a series of books on the contemporary history of the countries of the East, including Asia and Northern Africa, published by the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The authors of this volume Dr F.N.Yurlov and Dr E.S.Yurlova are known experts on India. Contemporary India has been the subject of research by many Rus- sian scholars. Its complex studies were initiated by Prof. A.M.Dyakov in the 1950s. The first book “Contemporary History of India” (A.M.Dyakov and V.V.Balabushevich, eds.) was published in 1959. Next came “His- tory of India” (1973), in three parts, authored by G.M.Bongard-Levin (Ancient India), K.A.Antonova (Medieval India) and G.G.Kotovsky (Modern India). The present book deals with the contemporary political history of India. It embraces the period from the end of the 19th century to the be- ginning of the twenty-first century. The research is well documented. Based on Russian and foreign past studies, it uses some of the recently declassified documents as well as new publications which were brought out after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In the Introduction, the authors give a general analysis of the historic processes connected with the Indian national liberation movement against the
The First Part of the book examines the socio-political situation in India in the first half of the 20th century, the birth and activities of the Indian National Congress. Special attention is devoted to the non- cooperation movement led by M.K.Gandhi. Separate chapters deal with the social movements and religious organizations, non-Brahman and “de- pressed classes” movements. Development of Socialist ideas in India, as well as the formation of the Communist party and its activities are also scrutinized. The First Part contains the events on the eve and the begin- ning of the World War II, the partition of India and winning its Independ- ence in August 1947. The Second Part of the monograph deals with the political history of India after Independence till the beginning of the 21st century. Such im- portant developments as the creation of the Indian Union, the work of the
909 first Indian government headed by Jawaharlal Nehru, the adoption of the Constitution of India are studied here. A number of the chapters deal with problems relating to the reorganization of States, Nehru’s
course of socio- economic development and agrarian reforms. The authors take stock of country’s experience in democratic functioning. Among the major prob- lems of the political development of that period were the monopoly of the Congress power and emergence of a real political opposition – first in the States, and later at the Centre, the imposition of Emergency in 1975 and the appearance of the Bharatiya Janata Party on the political avant-stage. Centre–States relations are analyzed in the context of the rise of power and influence of the States and their elites. The role of such tradi- tional factors as religion and caste in socio-political life of the country is also discussed, as well as problems of coalition governments in the Cen- tre and the States. Special attention is devoted to the development of the democratic in- stitutions and creation of foundations of civil society, to the importance of the economic reforms from the 1990s through the first decade of the twenty-first century. The Indian socio-economic developmental experi- ence in the last few decades is examined in this connection. Special im- portance is allotted to the contribution of the 25-million Indian diaspora to the modernization of India. The Third Part is devoted to Independent India’s foreign policy. The role of the Non-Aligned Movement, which was of a great significance to India and the world until the collapse of the Soviet Union, is presented here. The participation of India in the UN, and other international organi- zations and groupings (including SSO and BRIC) is also discussed. The authors examine the Indo-Soviet relations in the context of the Cold War, as well as Indo-Russian relations in 1992–2010. Relations between India and the USA, China and Pakistan are studied in separate chapters, as well as Great Powers’ rivalry in South Asia. Chapters dealing with India’s military build-up and its nuclear programme are also presented in this part of the book. In the Conclusion the authors briefly sum up India’s socio-economic achievements and also note the main problems which hinder her progress to the status of a great power. In six decades of Independence India has moved along the path of transformation from a colonial socio-economic structure to state capital- ism based on mixed economy with important elements of a social safety net. It ensured evolutionary development escaping revolutions and social explosions in a country with extreme socio-economic backwardness, huge unemployment and poverty of the major part of the population. One may say that India has proposed its own model of development. It has suc-
910 ceeded in building basic branches of modern industries, attaining eco- nomic self-sufficiency, creating qualified cadres of scientists, engineers and workers. Modernization of economy and high rate of economic growth en- abled India’s people to raise their level of life. During this period, per capita income increased 2.5 fold, literacy – 3.5 fold, expected longevity – more than twice, from 32 to 67 years. Such socio-economic progress was achieved in the
conditions of stability based on democracy which is deeply rooted in the Indian society. At the same time, these achievements could not negate the serious problems and shortcomings faced by the In- dian society. Most important among them are poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and the growing gap between the rich and the poor. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, India put forward a very ambitious task to join the ranks of the world leading states. It has created a number of prerequisites to achieve this goal. Among them are a multi- million middle class, and a great number of educated people. Today’s India is a young energetic country able to rapidly move forward.
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