Region, Nation, "Heartland": Uttar Pradesh in India's Body Politic

This book traces the importance of Uttar Pradesh (UP) as a political "heartland" of India over the last century and highlights its influence on Indian politics. In unraveling this constructed identity of the state, this book analyzes the transformation that UP experienced as a "region" within India in the late colonial and post-colonial periods. The author discusses the construction of the state under three identity categories: colonial heartland; nationalist heartland; and post-colonial heartland. The conclusions drawn from this study serve to evaluate the extent to which the framework and construct of the "heartland" has worked for the well-being of the state and society in contemporary India.