Introduction; Part I. The Long View: 1. A land of water and silt; 2. Jungle, fields, cities and states; 3. A region of multiple frontiers; 4. The Delta as a crossroads; Part II. Colonial Encounters; 5. From the Mughal Empire to the British Empire; 6. The British impact; 7. A closing agrarian frontier; 8. Colonial conflicts; 9. Towards partition; 10. Partition; Part III. Becoming East Pakistan: 11. The Pakistan experiment; 12. Pakistan falls apart; 13. East Pakistani livelihoods; 14. The roots of aid dependence; 15. A new elite and cultural renewal; Part IV. War and the Birth of Bangladesh: 16. Armed conflict; 17. A state is born; 18. Imagining a new society; Part V. Independent Bangladesh: 19. Creating a political system; 20. Transnational linkages; 21. Bursting at the seams; 22. A national culture?; Conclusion.
From ecological disaster to partition, this is a fascinating account of the extraordinary events that have produced modern Bangladesh.
Willem van Schendel is Professor of Modern Asian History at the University of Amsterdam and Head of the Asia Department of the International Institute of Social History, Amsterdam. His previous publications include Global Blue: Indigo and Espionage in Colonial Bengal (with Pierre-Paul Darrac, 2006) and The Bengal Borderland: Beyond State and Nation in South Asia (2005).
'This is an eloquent introduction to a fascinating country and its
resilient and inventive people.' The Newsletter
'… it deserves critical attention and engagement … A History of
Bangladesh is perhaps the first of its kind of book that brings
such a long span of time within its covers. … [It] offers a
coherent and refreshingly [broad] account of the country's
historical developments. … Willem van Schendel offers an excellent
synthesis of myriad issues and developments that have shaped
Bangladesh.' Economic and Political Weekly
'Up to now there have been several attempts to write comprehensive
histories of Bangladesh … It would seem difficult to find a place
between these recent works. But this is exactly what Willem van
Schendel has done so impressively. In a very attractive way he
presents a history of the young state in eastern South Asia that is
exciting even if we look only at the layout. It contains numerous
maps and especially pictures that are certainly not merely
illustrations but historical source material. The text boxes
devoted to case studies or personalities help to deepen our
knowledge. Equally novel is the breadth of the themes presented
(such as migration, environment, urbanisation and media), which go
well beyond the usual narrative of a political national history and
instead present a full-blown history of society … After so much
praise and so little criticism it goes without saying that this
book belongs not only in every public library but also in the hands
of as many readers as possible.' Michael Mann, H-Net
'Willem van Schendel's lively A History of Bangladesh is
recommended.' Andrew Marshall, Telegraph
'[Willem van Schendel's] History of Bangladesh has somewhat the
appearance of a Lonely Planet guide: glossy, well illustrated with
over a hundred photographs and plates and with many page insets. It
takes a generously inclusive approach, with an excellent
introduction on the physical setting and pre-history. In a region
all too obsessed with politics it gives equal attention to social,
cultural, and economic matters. It is expressly designed 'for
general readers and for students beginning to study the subject'.
This necessarily entails the compression of complex issues but the
author's judicious selectivity combines academic reliability with
great readability. … This is a book I wish had been available when
I first went to Bangladesh.' Asian Affairs
'… a fascinating and highly readable account of life in the Bengal
delta over the last two millennia.' Jessica Mudditt, Contemporary
South Asia
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