The word Politics, in the present day, has taken on all the negative connotations. When we see any person in politics, we try to relate that individual with those who have committed some wrong actions.
However, what exactly does that mean by politics? Politics refers to the activities that are associated with governing the country. If we talk about Indian politics, it started from the day when the dominion of India was reborn on January 26, 1950.
India’s politics works within the framework of the constitution. In India, the constitution is considered the supreme law of India. It provides certain rights and fundamental rights to the people of the nation.
All Indian politics revolves around this supreme law of India. Below are the books by famous authors that will talk about Indian politics in a precise manner.
Now, let’s see the 9 Best Books on Indian Politics and learn something about them.
Our Top Picks
Best Books on Indian Politics (2022)
1. The Verdict: Decoding India’s Elections
This book delves into each detail of the democratic and electoral process including the EVM.
The authors have presented the true picture of the Indian elections since independence and depicted the rise of women voters in India.
The book takes us through the three phases: the pro-incumbency era (1952-77), the anti-incumbency era (1977-2002),
And the era after 2002 till the present, which is referred to as 50:50 by the author.
The author has illustrated constructively how the individuals were voting for the same party during the election period and later realized their powers.
In short, the majority of the book entails the process of opinion and poll forecasting. This will help you understand the overall structure of the electoral process.
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2. The Silent Coup: A History of India’s Deep State
What if India’s intelligence-security ecosystem (CBI, Police, Income Tax, etc.) loses control and begins working independently.
Do you believe the situation will remain the same way as it is today?
Well, this book is a representation of past social and political scenarios.
How India’s security has dismantled the lives of people by amplifying the fake narratives
And utter disregard for constitutional laws, which were set by the political masters.
How India’s security has dismantled the lives of people by amplifying the fake narratives and utter disregard for constitutional laws, which were set by the political masters.
This book covers all the major topics, such as the 26/11 blast, Kandahar hijack, Gujarat riots, and many more.
In short, the book reflects all the subsequent scenarios of subversion of constitutional laws since the 70s.
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3. How India Became Democratic
During independence, India declared itself a Sovereign, Democratic, and Republic state.
Are you curious to know what motivated India to come up with the decision to organize itself as a democratic state?
What were the reasons for adopting the Universal Adult Franchise?
As we are aware of the fact that we all did not have the right to vote before independence.
This book is an extraction of the well-argued efforts and mindful ideas that were implemented to draft the first electoral roll of independent India.
Therefore, we must not take the struggle for granted of those who fought for Indian rights.
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4. Seven Decades of Independent India: Ideas and Reflections
When any political party comes to power in India, it claims as if nothing had been executed (contributed).
Until the party takes control over the region. That has become a new norm for our political leaders.
But what exactly has happened since independence, and how has been the journey of our nation after independence.
The book is divided into sections of essays that cover a vast range of topics, one of the best books on politics for beginners.
And such as the fall of Indian planning, India’s media, and whether India will be a great power. And so on.
The book undoubtedly covers every aspect of nation-building and gives you a better understanding of where India actually stands.
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5. India Emerging: From Policy Paralysis to Hyper Economics
In terms of nominal GDP, India is the fifth-largest economy. It has come a long way since the Great Depression.
This book discusses the depreciation of the Indian rupee under Indira Gandhi's reign,
And as well as the damaged Indian economy as a result of the wars of 1962, 1965, and 1971. What were the economic growth strategies used in India?
The book provides comprehensive answers to these concerns, including the nationalization of banks that revitalized the agriculture sector,
And how the first economic reforms of 1991 came into being, what causes contributed to the economic standstill, and what led to hyper-growth.
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6. When Crime Pays: Money and Muscle in Indian politics
We must have read or heard in the news that many national and state elected representatives are facing criminal cases.
Therefore, the concern of the book is to analyze the puzzle by asking a few questions;
And why do political parties select these candidates, and what are the reasons for electing these candidates by voters?
Furthermore, the author explains the concept of vertical integration; why criminals themselves entered politics where the politicians backed them.
In short, it is a well-researched book that depicts the picture of Indian elections, where candidates with criminal records enjoy a significant advantage.
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7. The Ultimate Goal: A Former R&AW Chief Deconstructs How Nation Construct Narratives
This book sheds light on the effective constructive narratives;
And how powerful leader countries have used them to sustain their own powers in this political Era.
How the powerful leader countries have aggressively dominated and influenced the global opinion through well-researched narratives.
In short, the book talks about the western & eastern narratives.
Furthermore, how India developed a varied political stand in response to the other narratives.
The book illustrates the interplay of worldwide government and intelligence agencies in order to accomplish the only goal of domination.
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8. The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World
This book captivates the reader’s interest because our foreign minister, S. Jaishankar, authored it.
His four decades of knowledge and intellect are portrayed uniquely, blending geopolitical and economic diplomatic situations.
The book gives a panoramic view of what an Indian foreign policy is all about
And how India’s foreign policy has been unique from the others under the leadership of PM Modi.
In this book, Jaishankar discusses the significant burdens upon our foreign policy, which include partition, delayed economic reforms, and the extended use of the nuclear option.
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9. Indian Political Thought
The book is divided into two sections: Ancient Indian Political Thought and Modern Indian Political Thought.
This book includes a collection of greatest thinkers and their ideologies.
This book attempted to critically and comparatively explore the key principles of ancient and contemporary philosophy.
It will provide you insights into the past atmosphere.
And demonstrate the thought process of political intellectuals and what they believed in the past.
Each part of the thought is elegantly introduced in their approach, whether socialist, liberal, or feminist. This book covers notable intellectuals such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Rabindra Nath Tagore, Dr. BR Ambedkar, and many others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What are the best books for Indian political thinkers?
As you have already read in this article about the most important books for Indian political thinkers.
However, there are a lot more books that will be helpful for political thinkers.
There are books such as “Indian political thought” by OP Gauba and “Modern Indian political thought” by Bidyut Chakraborty & Rajendra Kumar Panday.
If you are a student and looking to start developing your thought process, then you can start reading with M. Laxmikant that readily describes every section of matter.
Q2. What are the best political books that every Indian should read?
We are always a bit reluctant when it comes to choosing books without taking any reviews. Right? Therefore, we have extracted this from all those long source lists to save your time.
The books every Indian must-read are; “Pakistan or Partition of India” by B.R. Ambedkar, “Muslim League Attack on Sikhs
And Hindus in the Punjab 1947” by S. Gurbachan Singh Talib, “Urban Naxals” by Vivek Agnihotri, and “The Clash of Civilizations” by Samuel P. Huntington.
Q3. What is Kautilya’s book on politics?
The Arthashastra, written by Kautilya (Vishnugupta), was the most influential book of ancient times.
It covers the political and economic perspectives, including the nature of government, law, civil and criminal courts, market trade, and ethics.
The book was re-discovered in 1905 by the Sanskrit scholar Rudrapatna Shamasastry. The political ideas of Kautilya not only helped the Mauryan empire to establish the kingdom,
But are also relevant in the contemporary period. The political approach was based on realistic facts and his experiences.
Q4. Who wrote Indian Politics?
When we talk about politics, it is not just limited to India or any other country. It was not an overnight process, even though it has been a long light and dark journey since ancient times.
We all do politics in order to achieve something. From the time of the hunters and gatherers, they played politics in order to sustain themselves.
That is how politics took place in our lives. Indian politics have an influence of our past rituals, the Britisher’s influence,
And the other influences that helped us to construct our supreme law of the nation “The Constitution.”
Q5. Who is called the mother of India?
When we say the father of the nation, it means someone who has contributed to the nation at the utmost level for the betterment of the country. When we are saying the mother of India, it is very specific in terms of names.
As we have a lot of contributors who have devoted their lives to the nation, one of the renowned figures is Bhikaji Rustom Cama,
Who is considered the mother of the Indian revolution because of her major contributions to the freedom struggle. The other famous female figures are Mother Teresa, Rani Laxshmi Bai, and Kasturba Gandhi.
Here are The Best Books on Indian Politics :
