The Nizam Between Mughals and British: Hyderabad Under Salar Jang I. By Vasant Kumar Bawa. New Delhi: S. Chand and Co., 1986. xxiv, 264 pp. Rs. 120.

Abstract

BOOK REVIEWS-SOUTH ASIA these suppositions, as the RSS developed first under the leadership of Kesnav Hed- gewar (d. 1940) and then of Madhav Golwakar (d. 1973). Follow.ing independence, the Sangh broadened its institutional structure in order to find methods for inculcating its ideas and values throughout Indian society. It published newspapers and weeklies, including the Organiser in English, the Marathi weekly Shakti, and the Panchjanya in Hindi. New organizations were founded that proved effective allies of the core society. These included a scudenc society, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (1948); an extended labor union, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (1955); and an association that sought to unite all Hindu religious leaders, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad ( 1964). The Parishad in turn created a second organization to act as a platform for religious leaders, the Marga Darshan Mandal (1981). The Sangh also founded the Deendayal Research Institute ( 1972), which initially aimed to conduct scholarly study but soon moved into relief efforts. Following the example of the Bharatiya Varanasi Kalyan Ashram, established in 1952, the institute began to work among the tribals of Madhya Pradesh. The discussion of these affiliate organizations brings to life the breadth of the Sangh and provides a comprehensive picture of this organizational complex. With independence and the lifting in 1949 of a ban against the RSS instituted following the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, the organization faced new oppor- tunities, especially in the political arena. Roughly half the book focuses on the po- litical involvement of the Sangh, first with the Jana Sangh party, then the Janata government, and most recently the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. The authors carefully ex- amine the Sangh's interrelations with these political parties and how it is able to exert influence on its political partners. The RSS trained and provided many political workers and thus held considerable power in allied political parties. Yet there remains a sense of ambiguity among Sangh leaders as to just what their political role should be and w. lether overt political action is compatible with their goal of creating a true Hindu society and culture. The authors have skillfully investigated this dilemma. The conclusions and analysis presented in this volume have been built on extensive research from a wide variety of pr.imary sources: reports, articles, newspapers, peri- odicals, and manuscripts in English, Hindi, and Marathi. In addition the authors conducted 307 interviews in the years 1968 to 1985 with people inside the Sangh at all levels, as well as with a number of people outside the organization. They have carefully integrated diverse actions and ideals of the RSS in reference to the core sockty, its affiliate organizations, and the broader sphere of Indian politics. The result of these labors is a comprehensive study that contributes significantly to our knowl- edge and should be read by all scholars and students interested in the convergence in the Indian Republic of religion, culture, and politics. W. JONES Kamas State University KENNETH The Nizam Between M11ghals and British: Hyderabad Under Safar Jang I. V ASANT KUMAR BA WA. 264 pp. Rs. 120. New Delhi: S. Chand and Co., 1986. By xxiv, This book began as V. K. .Bawa's Ph. D. dissertation in 1967. The dissertation has been considerably changed and augmented, and scholars of Hyderabad who have been using it will be glad to see this work published. Bawa's career as an Indian Administrative Service officer placed him as director of the Andhra Pradesh State