Political Parties in India

Professor Abdur Razzaq's 'Political Parties in India' is a landmark study that began as an examination of political parties but evolved into a sweeping exploration of the social, economic and intellectual history of 19th and early 20th century India. Razzaq, who joined Dhaka University as a Lecturer in 1936 and later pursued his Ph.D. at the London School of Economics under the supervision of Prof. Harold Laski, examines how class formations changed under British rule and how the spread of English education generated new discourses. He traces the growing Indian presence in the bureaucracy, military and legislatures, and shows how political movements gradually became more formalized. His key insight is that political parties did not drive popular movements, but were actually shaped by them.

The book also explores the increasing distance between Hindu and Muslim communities in the context of competition among educated middle classes for political and economic advancement, a development with far-reaching consequences. Razzaq's analysis is comprehensive in scope, shrewd in observation and unconventional in approach. This posthumously published work remains essential reading for anyone interested in the intellectual foundations of South Asian politics.