Evolution of The Constitutional History of India (1773-1947): With Special Reference To The Role of The Indian National Congress and The Minorities

The present work was prepared by the author after a deep study of the subject spanning over a quarter of a century. His work is drawn upon original sources. The study of the Acts is always terse and drab. With his facile pen and clarity of thought, the author made the whole study lucid and attractive, much intelligible to students who have to read the subject as a part of their course, or for competitive examinations. Essayed in sixteen chapters, treatment of the work is exhaustive. The period covered by the author is known for the rise of Indian nationalism. The work is a full dressed expression of the different schools of nationalists and their sacrifices for their mother country to break its chains from the British colonial rule. It is a pity that is present India the sacrifices of the great sons and daughters of the nation are seldom remembered. In this respect the work is an eye-opener which infuses a new spirit of nationalism and sacrifice in the readers by following the examples of selfless workers like Lokmanya Balgangadhar Tilak. Lala Lajpat Rai and several others. How inspiring is the role of Mrs. Annie Besant, a foreign lady, in the freedom struggle of India is crystallised in the pages of the book. Tragedies like the Jalianwalabag, treated well in the book, always keep us alert so that we may be true to our past history and traditions and not to be carried away by the lure of power. The early demands of the Muslims and the favourable response of the British, have been given full treatment by the author. These demands, with the passage of time, became the basis for the disastrous two-nation theory. An objective account has been presented vis-à-vis the British diplomacy of divine et impera in a critical and gripping style in the work. The work is, by judging from all points of view, a mosaic. It is informative, critical and exhaustive. It will be found interesting by general readers and students alike. It will prove much helpful to the latter in pursuit of their studies. It is undoubtedly indispensable for them.

Professor Dr. V.B. Mishra. M.A., Ph.D. (b. 1926) had a brilliant academic career in the Banaras Hindu University. He joined the Gauhati University (Assam) as a Lecturer in the Post-Graduate Department of History in 1950. Gradually he rose to be the Reader, Professor, Head, and Dean, Faculty of Arts and finally its acting Vice-Chancellor, after a distinguished service of thirty-six years in that university. He has to his credit three research works of high standard of which one had been published by M/S.e.J. Brill, Leiden (Holland) besides several research papers which were published in prestigious Research Journals.