Includes bibliographical references (pages 783-838) and index.

A Note on the Spellings, Transliteration, Citations and llustrations;
Prologue;
1. The Empire in Disarray;
2. Bumpy Road to Independence;
3. Birth Pangs;
4. Assam in a Federal India;
5. Domestic Woes;
6. In Search of the Modern;
7. Trouble in the Eastern Himalayas;
8. Unfolding Crises in the Highlands;
9. Atop a Volcano;
10. The Battle Continues;
11. Economic and Political Storms;
12. Waves of Popular Protest;
13. Moving towards the Millennium;
Epilogue;
Acknowledçements.

The crucial battles of World War II fought in India’s north-east-followed soon after by Independence and Partition-had a critical impact on the making of modern Assam. In the three decades following 1947, the state of Assam underwent massive political turmoil, geographical instability, and social and demographic upheaval, among others. Later, the truncated state suffered widespread unrest as various groups believed their cultural identity and political leverage were under threat. New social energies and political forces were unleashed and came to the fore.
Definitive, comprehensive and unputdownable, The Quest for Modern Assam explores the interconnected layers of political, environmental, economic and cultural processes that shaped the development of Assam since the 1940s. It offers an authoritative account that sets new standards in the writing of regional political history. Not to be missed by any one keen on Assam, India, Asia or world history in the twentieth century.