Democracy and Inequality in India: Political Economy of a Troubled Giant

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Atul Kohli (Princeton University, New Jersey) Kanta Murali (University of Toronto)

Democracy and Inequality in India

Name: Democracy and Inequality in India
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ISBN: 9781108458559

Political Economy of a Troubled Giant

Atul Kohli (Princeton University, New Jersey), Kanta Murali (University of Toronto)

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English

Cambridge University Press
30 October 2025

Comparative politics; Constitution: government & the state; Political structures: democracy; Political parties

Contemporary India provides a giant and complex

panorama that deserves to be understood. Through in-depth analysis of democracy, economic growth and distribution, caste, labour, gender, and foreign policy, Atul Kohli and Kanta Murali provide a framework for understanding recent political and economic developments. They make three key arguments. Firstly, that India's well-established democracy is currently under considerable strain. Secondly, that the roots of this decline can be attributed to the growing inequalities accompanying growth since the 1990s. Growing inequalities led to the decline of the Congress party and the rise of the BJP under Narendra Modi. In turn, the BJP and its Hindu-nationalist affiliates have used state power to undermine democracy and to target Indian Muslims. Finally, they highlight how various social groups reacted to macro-level changes, although the results of their activism have not always been substantial. Essential reading for anyone wishing to understand democracy in India today.

By: Atul Kohli (Princeton University New Jersey), Kanta Murali (University of Toronto)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 19mm
Weight: 523g
ISBN: 9781108458559
ISBN 10: 1108458556
Pages: 360
Publication Date: 30 October 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Atul Kohli is David K. E. Bruce Professor of International Affairs and Professor of Politics, Princeton University. His recent books include Greed and Guns: Imperial Origins of the Developing World (2022) and Imperialism and the Developing World: How Britain and the US Shaped the Global Periphery (2019). Kanta Murali is Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Toronto. She is author of Caste, Class and Capital: The Social and Political Origins of Economic Policy in India (2017).

Reviews for Democracy and Inequality in India: Political Economy of a Troubled Giant

'A comprehensive, erudite, and immensely readable account of a vast and complex subject. Kohli and Murali explore the impact of growth and economic inequality on India's democracy, with a thoroughness and depth of scholarship that make this volume an invaluable companion to contemporary India.' Niraja Gopal Jayal, author of Citizenship and its Discontents: An Indian History 'This thoughtful and nuanced account by two seasoned scholars of India is essential reading for anyone wanting to understand the country today.' Prerna Singh, author of How Solidarity Works for Welfare: Subnationalism and Social Development in India 'Kohli and Murali have produced the most comprehensive scholarly treatment of the Modi era yet. They cover a whole range of important political issues, including caste, gender, labor, regional disparities and India's changing relationship to the world. Economic growth and distribution constitute an important core of the book. Significantly, they argue that India's democratic backsliding is linked to the nation's rising economic inequalities. A book that should be widely read.' Ashutosh Varshney, author of Battles Half Won: India's Improbable Democracy