Muslim Politics in Bihar

This book studies the engagement of various Muslim communities with Bihar politics from colonial times to present-day India. It debunks several myths in highlighting Muslim resistance to the Two-Nation theory, and counters the 'Isolation Syndrome' faced by Muslim communities after Independence. Using rare archival sources and hitherto unexamined Urdu texts, this book offers a nuanced exploration of complex themes such as the struggle against Bengali hegemony, communalism, regionalism and alienation before Independence, recent language politics, the political assertion of low-caste Muslims in current Bihar, as well as their quest for social and gender justice. An important contribution to the study of South Asian Islam, this book will interest students and scholars of modern Indian history, politics, sociology, religion, gender, and minority studies.

Mohammad Sajjad is Assistant Professor, Centre of Advanced Study in History, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh.

Introduction 1. Community Consensus: An Overview of Muslims in Bihar Politics until 1940 2. The Polarizing Texture of Bihar Politics: A Survey till 1940 3. From Alienation to Exodus, 1940-47 4. Muslim Resistance to the Two-Nation Theory: Bihar, 1940-47 5. Language Politics as a Tool of Empowerment: Political Landscape of Urdu in Bihar after Independence, 1947-89 6. Quest for Social and Gender Justice: Bihar Muslims since 1990s 7. Conclusion. Bibliography. About the Author. Index