A comparative and historical study of the interplay between democratic politics and authoritarian states in South Asia.

The colonial legacy in India and Pakistan --State formation and political processes in India and Pakistan, 1947 to c.1971 -- The 'populist' era and its aftermath in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, 1971 to c.1993 -- The state and political economy, 1947 to c.1993 -- Central power and regional dissidence -- Societies, cultures and ideologies: hybrids in contrived monoliths.