The Unification and Division of India

The process by which India gained political unity under the British had no precedent in the history of the country. Qualitatively, the process was unique in terms of principle and organization, in approach and mode of operation. Although military conquest occurred, the British did not subject the country to military occupation for any length of time, for a rule-bound civil administration always dominated. In this comprehesive study, Misra discusses the many instruments - diplomatic, administrative and institutional - through which India's territory was integrated by the British; how this integration and unity were constantly sought to be protected ; and how even constitutional advances and development programs kept the countries' unity in view.