This book is written to give an overall idea of dynastic politics in India, keeping in mind that a citizen of India should know more about the politicians who are in the government and form policies and so on to take the country in the proper direction. Even if there are two related members, it is considered as dynasty and is included in this book. Wherever possible, family trees, as well as the assets of our politicians, are shown. It was natural to start with the Nehru Gandhi family, being one of the largest and longest-ruling families at the helm of all affairs. Then state wise, the families are chosen and the account is presented. As the content is extensive, the book is published in two volumes. States are chosen alphabetically. So even if Nehru Gandhi family is in Volume 1, Tamilnadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh are in Volume 2. Early rulers in Indian history used to hand over the throne to their sons and then to the next generations for generations till some significant event upset the process, mostly conspiracies by persons like very close aides of the king or a revolt. Similar lines were followed even during our democracy, passing on the rule to the next generation, which gave rise to dynastic rule. Indian politics has witnessed a large spectrum of politicians from various fields. Initially, it consisted mainly of leaders from the field of law. Now, we find that we have eminent personalities from sports fields, actors, actresses, superstars from the silver screen. The literary field is no exception; we have writers, poets, and so on. Economists find a special place in the political arena. Politics does not shun even criminals or a few dacoits who then turned to politics after surrendering. Businessmen, kings or princes from princely states, as the British decided to call them, are also found here. We have learned people in politics as also the illiterate people (angutha chhaap) who learned to sign only after assuming the office on being elected. People are interested in knowing the assets of politicians. This point is covered by using the asset declaration given by the politicians at the time of the election.

This book is written to get an overall idea of “dynastic politics” in India. It is always kept in mind that a citizen of India should know more about the politicians who are in the Government and form policies, etc. to take the country in the proper direction, at the same time the book should be interesting. Wherever possible, family trees are shown as well as the assets of our politicians. It was natural to start with the Nehru Gandhi family, being one of the largest and long-ruling families at the helm of all affairs. Then State-wise, the families are chosen and the account is presented. Since the volume is huge, this book is in two volumes. States are chosen alphabetically. So, even if the Nehru Gandhi family is in Volume 1, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, etc. are in Volume 2. Early rulers in Indian history used to handover the throne to their sons and then to the next generations for generations to come until some larger event upset the process, mostly conspiracies by persons like very close aides of the king or a revolt. Similar lines were followed even during our democracy passing on the rule to the next generation, which gave rise to dynastic rule. Indian politics has witnessed a large spectrum of politicians from various fields. Initially, it consisted mainly of leaders from the field of law. But now, we find that we have eminent personalities from the sports field, actors, actresses, superstars from the silver screen; the literary field is no exception; we have writers, poets, and so on; economists find a special place in the political arena; politics does not shun even criminals or few dacoits who then turned to politics after their surrender. Businessmen, lings or we can say princes from princely states as Britishers decided to call them are also found here. We have the learned people in politics as well as the illiterate people (angutha chhaap) who learnt to sign only after assuming office on getting elected.

The information on Muslims around the World is collected and presented in this book. The Muslim population percentage in major non-Muslim countries of the World, their social, economic, political, cultural, status in these as well as other fields substantiated by numbers. Similar information about the Muslims as well as minorities in the Muslim countries is presented in this book making it overall entertaining and informative at the same time.

Dynastic politics, usually presumed to be the antithesis of democracy, is a routine aspect of politics in many modern democracies. This book introduces a new theoretical perspective on dynasticism in democracies, using original data on twenty-first-century Indian parliaments. It argues that the roots of dynastic politics lie at least in part in modern democratic institutions - states and parties - which give political families a leg-up in the electoral process. It also proposes a rethinking of the view that dynastic politics is a violation of democracy, showing that it can also reinforce some aspects of democracy while violating others. Finally, this book suggests that both reinforcement and violation are the products, not of some property intrinsic to political dynasties, but of the institutional environment from which those dynasties emerge.

This assessment shows that Myanmar’s success in achieving growth will depend on developing the institutional/social capital necessary for economic/financial stability, to ensure the rule of law, to achieve environmentally sustainable development, and creating an enabling private sector environment.

5,000 years of history—from the Bhagavad Gita to Bollywood—fill this masterful portrait of the world’s most populous nation and a rising global power. The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced read. India—a cradle of civilization with five millennia of history, a country of immense consequence and contradiction—often defies ready understanding. What holds its people together—across its many cultures, races, languages, and creeds—and how has India evolved into the liberal democracy it is today? From the Harappan era to Muslim invasions, the Great Mughals, British rule, independence, and present-day hopes, John Zubrzycki distills India’s colossal history into a gripping true story filled with legendary lives: Alexander the Great, Akbar, Robert Clive, Tipu Sultan, Lakshmi Bai, Lord Curzon, Jinnah, and Gandhi. India’s gifts to the world include Buddhism, yoga, the concept of zero, the largest global diaspora—and its influence is only growing. Already the world’s largest democracy, in 2023, India became the most populous nation. Can India overcome its political, social, and religious tensions to be the next global superpower? As the world watches—and wonders—this Shortest History is an essential, clarifying read.