Resisting Colonialism and Communal Politics: Maulana Azad and the Making of the Indian Nation

DETAILS : 

• Author: Rizwan Qaiser
  
• Publisher: ‎ Manohar Publishers & Distributors
  
• Publication date: ‎ 2 May 2013
  
• Language: ‎ English
  
• Print length: ‎ 374 pages
  
• ISBN-10: ‎ 9350980142
  
• ISBN-13: ‎ 978-9350980149
  
• Item Weight: ‎ 550 g 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Resisting Colonialism and Communal Politics: Maulana Azad and the Making of the Indian Nation, authored by the distinguished historian Dr. Rizwan Qaiser, is a definitive, archive-driven historiographical masterwork. Published by Manohar Publishers, this scholarly volume offers a rigorous re-evaluation of the political life, intellectual contributions, and structural legacy of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad during India's anti-colonial struggle. The core philosophy of this text centers on deconstructing the binary narratives of modern South Asian history. Dr. Qaiser challenges both colonial historiography and the divisive arguments of communal politics by positioning Maulana Azad not as a peripheral nationalist figure, but as a central architect of an inclusive, composite Indian nationalism (Muttahida Qaumiyat).

The volume is structurally organized into chronological, theme-based chapters that trace Azad's evolution from a radical young journalist to a senior statesman of the Indian National Congress. It deeply explores his early revolutionary journalism through his pathbreaking Urdu newspapers, Al-Hilal and Al-Balagh, which systematically used Islamic theology to mobilize Muslims against British imperialism. The book provides an exhaustive analytical breakdown of his leadership during critical historical turning points, including the Khilafat Movement, the Non-Cooperation Movement, and his two crucial tenures as the President of the Indian National Congress (notably during the high-stakes Quit India Movement of 1942). Dr. Qaiser relies on a vast array of primary sources—including private papers, intelligence reports, and Azad's own extensive writings—to show how Azad fiercely resisted the two-nation theory championed by the Muslim League, while simultaneously fighting British strategies designed to split the independence movement along religious lines.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Rizwan Qaiser is an elite Indian historian, academician, and public intellectual who served as a Professor at the Department of History and Culture, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Renowned for his absolute mastery over the history of the Indian National Movement, modern Islam, and India's partition, his research focuses heavily on the intersections of religion, identity, and secular politics in modern South Asia.

Dr. Qaiser’s historical and analytical style is extraordinarily meticulous, objective, and deeply academic. Writing with the balance of a seasoned researcher and a passionate defender of constitutional secularism, he avoids romanticized hagiography in favor of sharp, context-driven structural analysis. By balancing deep ideological deconstructions with clear timelines and dense archival evidence, his literature remains an enduring national benchmark for research scholars, university history faculties, and civil services aspirants seeking a nuanced understanding of India's freedom struggle.