Midnight's Descendants: A History of South Asia since Partition - Hardcover

Keay, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0465021808 ISBN 13: 9780465021802

Publisher: Basic Books, 2014

Synopsis

Dispersed across India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, Midnight's Descendants-the generations born since the 1947 "midnight hour partition" of British India-are the world's fastest growing population. This vast region and its peoples wield an enormous influence over global economics and geopolitics, yet their impact is too often simplified by accounts that focus solely on one nation and ignore the intricate web of affiliations that shape relations among British India's successor states. Now, in Midnight Descendants, celebrated historian John Keay presents the first comprehensive history of this complex and interconnected region, delving deep into the events that have shaped its past and continue to guide its future.

The 1947 partition was devastating to the larger of the newly created states, and it continues to haunt them to this day. Joined by their common origin and the fear of further partition, the five key nations of South Asia have progressed in tandem to a large degree. These countries have been forced to grapple with common challenges, from undeveloped economies and fractured societies to foreign interventions and the fraught legacy of imperialism, leaving them irrevocably intertwined. Combining authoritative historical analysis with vivid reportage, Keay masterfully charts South Asia's winding path toward modernization and democratization over the past sixty years. Along the way, he unravels the volatile India-Pakistan relationship; the rise of religious fundamentalism; the wars that raged in Kashmir and Sri Lanka; and the fortunes of millions of South Asia migrants dispersed throughout the world, creating a full and nuanced understanding of this dynamic region.

Expansive and dramatic, Midnight's Descendants is a sweeping narrative of South Asia's recent history, from the aftermath of the 1947 partition to the region's present-day efforts to transcend its turbulent past and assume its rightful role in global politics.

About this title

About the Author

John Keay is the author of several acclaimed books, including China: A History, The Great Arc: The Dramatic Tale of How India Was Mapped and Everest Was Named, and the bestselling India: A History. He was formerly a special correspondent for the Economist, and contributes regularly to the Sunday Telegraph, Times Higher Educational Supplement, and the Literary Review.

Reviews

In 1947, exhausted by two world wars, Britain decided to relinquish its imperial control in South Asia, including the subcontinent of India. The successor states that emerged from partition and independence include India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. This is a huge geographic area, and its combined population will soon account for 25 percent of humanity. Keay, a historian specializing in Asia, has written an ambitious, wide-ranging study of these states since partition, which he clearly regards as a disaster for both South Asia and the world. According to him, it has resulted in two nuclear-armed states, India and Pakistan, chronically locked in a deadly embrace, while both Islamic and Hindu fundamentalists fan the fires of discord. In the wake of British withdrawal, other ethnic and linguistic tensions have emerged, particularly in Sri Lanka but also within the border regions of India. Still, all is not bleak, as an educated elite within each of these nations is leading the drive toward modernization. This is a well-done examination of a vibrant, dangerous, but promising region. --Jay Freeman

Edition details

• Publisher: Basic Books
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0465021808
• ISBN 13: 9780465021802
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 432