Partha Chatterjee is one of our greatest living theorists on the political, cultural, and intellectual history of nationalism. Beginning in the 1980s, his work, particularly within the context of India, became the basis for subaltern studies, an area of scholarship he continues to develop. This collection includes Chatterjee's most provocative and theoretically innovative essays, in which he examines the phenomenon of postcolonial democracy and sets the groundwork for research in subaltern states. It also republishes Chatterjee's early engagement with agrarian politics, his brilliant book reviews, and his best journalism. Selections include one never before published essay, "A Tribute to the Master," and several Bengali essays translated into English for the first time. A foreword by Nivedita Menon critiques Chatterjee's ideas and their influence on political thought today.
