India, with its 900 million inhabitants, is the world's most populous democracy whose success in sustaining its democratic institutions in the face of deep internal divisions and cleavages makes it of special interest to the student of comparative politics.

Ramesh Thakur's new text provides a lively and up-to-date introduction to the government and politics of India, and offers a wealth of empirical detail combined with sophisticated critical analysis. It explains the historical legacies that have shaped the structures of Indian government and influenced patterns of politics. The author describes the network of Indian institutions at federal and provincial level and conveys a sense of where power is located, how it is used and the constraints on its exercise.

Special attention is devoted to caste, religion and regionalism in Indian society and to the nature of democratic politics in relation to third world development.