Towards Freedom: Documents on the Movement for Independence in India 1939, Part I

The Towards Freedom volumes, each edited by a distinguished scholar, bring together historical material relating to the period 1937–47 from a wide variety of sources–official records, private and organizational papers, newspapers, and other contemporary publications available within the country. It presents documents relating to the activities, attitudes, and ideas of diverse classes and sections of Indian society, all of which contributed to the attainment of independence with partition. This volume systematically covers in four parts, important socio-political developments around the year 1939. It begins with the working of ministries in British India including the role of colonial officials, Congress ministers, and prominent nationalist leaders. The next section highlights the resistance, political radicalism, and repression related to the Second World War. Chapter three discusses the developments in Princely India highlighting the role of Gandhi, Nehru, the Congress, All India States People’s Conference, and the various state federations. The last chapter deals with the peasant movements, agrarian issues, and the role of the Kisan Sabhas in different parts of India. A unique source material, this volume presents unpublished documents from the national and state archives and Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, as well as extracts from English, Hindi, and regional newspapers. It sheds important light on various aspects of anti-colonial resistance in British and Princely India, socio-cultural movements and legislations, peasant agitations, and subaltern movements. The General editor’s preface of the Towards Freedom series provides the context and focus. In the introduction, Mushirul Hasan provides an insightful and lucid historical background to the documents. The calendar of documents at the beginning of the volume is an excellent guide to the selected source material. This volume will be indispensable for research scholars, professional historians, teachers and students of history, particularly those concerned with the Indian National Movement and British imperialism.