Includes bibliographical references and index.

A unique synthesis of decades of research and scholarship which explores the key strands of South Asian history in the 20th century with clarity and authority. Unlike other narrative histories of the subcontinent that concentrate exclusively on politics, here food, leisure and the family household are given equal importance to discussions of nationhood, the development of the state and patterns of migration. While it tells the subcontinent's story from the British Raj to independence and partition and on to the forging of the modern nations of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, the book's structure is thematic rather than chronological. Each chapter illuminates on overarching theme or sphere that has shaped South Asia over the course of the century. This format allows readers to explore particular issues - such as the changing character of nationalism or food consumption - over time and in depth.