The Law of Force

Violence in Indian public life is treated here not as a simple failure of democracy but as something institutions have learned to accommodate. Thomas Blom Hansen draws on long fieldwork and historical research to examine how populism, nationalism and state authority have reshaped the relationship between citizens and power. The argument is scholarly while the writing stays clear, and the case material grounds abstract claims in recognisable political life. Quick overview: • Scholarship on democracy, law and public violence in India • Discussion of populism, nationalism and state institutions • Fieldwork and historical evidence used side by side • Suitable for coursework in politics, sociology or area studies Aimed at students and researchers in political science and South Asian studies, and at general readers of serious non-fiction, available from Boipoka.