Treading on Hallowed Ground

Treading on Hallowed Ground
Author: C. Christine Fair
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2008
Genre: History
ISBN: 0195342038

After America's Iraq adventure devolved into a debacle, a chorus of commentators and analysts noted that the U.S. military had no plan to fight a counterinsurgency campaign. Given the failure of conventional tactics, America in the last two years has redoubled its efforts to develop a new strategy to fight the Iraqi insurgency, and has gone so far to place our leading counterinsurgency expert, General David Petraeus, in charge of the Iraq theater. In sum, there seems to be a growing consensus that for better or worse, counterinsurgency will be a core tactic in future American military campaigns. Iraq, of course, presents special problems to the U.S. because of the intensity of religious belief and sectarianism. How do we fight against an insurgency that so often strategically positions itself on 'hallowed ground'--mosques and shrines? Yet Iraq is not unique. As the contributors to Treading on Hallowed Ground show, counterinsurgency efforts on religiously contentious terrain is a widespread phenomenon in recent times, ranging from North Africa to Central and Southeast Asia. Here, C. Christine Fair and Sumit Ganguly have assembled an impressive group of experts to explore the most important counterinsurgency efforts in sacred spaces in our era: churches in Israel, mosques and shrines in Iraq, the Sikh Golden Temple in India, mosques and temples in Kashmir, the Krue Se Mosque in Thailand, and the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia. Taken together, the essays comprise the first comprehensive account of this increasingly pivotal component of contemporary war.

Identity and Survival

Identity and Survival
Author: Kirpal Dhillon
Publisher: Penguin UK
Total Pages: 371
Release: 2006-12-22
Genre: Literary Collections
ISBN: 9385890387

Drawing on his experiences in Punjab as director general of police from 3 July 1984—within weeks of Operation Blue Star—to 22 August 1985, Kirpal Dhillon writes about the phase of militancy in the state as not just a law and order problem but a question of Sikh nationalism, of a minority under threat. This is an insider’s view of the factors that bedeviled Punjab for close to two decades. Coming from a man who witnessed the drama first-hand and analyzed its historical causes, this book is a valuable addition to literature on the Sikh community’s darkest years—a phase that is not necessarily over.

The Oxford History of the British Empire: Volume IV: The Twentieth Century

The Oxford History of the British Empire: Volume IV: The Twentieth Century
Author: Judith Brown
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Total Pages: 800
Release: 1999-10-21
Genre: History
ISBN: 0191647365

The Oxford History of the British Empire is a major new assessment of the Empire in the light of recent scholarship and the progressive opening of historical records. From the founding of colonies in North America and the West Indies in the seventeenth century to the reversion of Hong Kong to China at the end of the twentieth, British imperialism was a catalyst for far-reaching change. The Oxford History of the British Empire as a comprehensive study allows us to understand the end of Empire in relation to its beginnings, the meaning of British imperialism for the ruled as well as the rulers, and the significance of the British Empire as a theme in world history. Volume IV considers many aspects of the 'imperial experience' in the final years of the British Empire, culminating in the mid-century's rapid processes of decolonization. It seeks to understand the men who managed the empire, their priorities and vision, and the mechanisms of control and connection which held the empire together. There are chapters on imperial centres, on the geographical 'periphery' of empire, and on all its connecting mechanisms, including institutions and the flow of people, money, goods, and services. The volume also explores the experience of 'imperial subjects' - in terms of culture, politics, and economics; an experience which culminated in the growth of vibrant, often new, national identities and movements and, ultimately, new nation-states. It concludes with the processes of decolonization which reshaped the political map of the late twentieth-century world.

The Politics of Religion in South and Southeast Asia

The Politics of Religion in South and Southeast Asia
Author: Ishtiaq Ahmed
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 289
Release: 2011-05-04
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1136727035

The notion of a ‘politics of religion’ refers to the increasing role that religion plays in the politics of the contemporary world. This book presents comparative country case studies on the politics of religion in South and South Asia, including India, Pakistan and Indonesia. The politics of religion calls into question the relevance of modernist notions of secularism and democracy, with the emphasis instead on going back to indigenous roots in search of authentic ideologies and models of state and nation building. Within the context of the individual countries, chapters focus on the consequences that politics of religion has on inclusive nation-building, democracy and the rights of individuals, minorities and women. The book makes a contribution to both the theoretical and conceptual literature on the politics of religion as well as shed light on the implications and ramifications of the politics of religion on contemporary South Asian and South East Asian countries. It is of interest to students and scholars of South and South East Asian Studies, as well as Comparative Politics.

50 Magnificent Indians Of The 20Th Century

50 Magnificent Indians Of The 20Th Century
Author: S. Lal
Publisher: Jaico Publishing House
Total Pages: 362
Release: 2008-01-01
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 8179926982

The book is an inspiring tale of 50 prominent Indians who made outstanding contribution in various fields. Their drive, determination and resourcefulness act like beacons of light directing young people all over the world to achieve the uncommon. Famous persons like Surendranath Bannerjee, Mahatma Gandhi, Homi J. Bhabha, J.N. Tata, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Indira Gandhi, Amartya Sen and P.T. Usha are but a few names among the long list that the book talks about. If you believe that example is more effective than mere words this book is sure to excite you.

INDIA’S MAJOR MILITARY & RESCUE OPERATIONS

INDIA’S MAJOR MILITARY & RESCUE OPERATIONS
Author: Dr. Hemant Kumar Pandey & Manish Raj Singh
Publisher: Horizon Books ( A Division of Ignited Minds Edutech P Ltd)
Total Pages: 308
Release: 2021-05-06
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 9386369249

The book on “INDIA’s MAJOR MILITARY & RESCUE OPERATIONS” by Dr. H.K. Pandey and Manish Raj Singh which has been very well conceptualized. Both the writers have been into the process for almost last two years and have obtained the required details from all the possible available sources, researched it well and have given it a wonderful shape, to help anyone who wants to know about Indian Military & Rescue Operations. Dr. H.K. Pandey has a varied experience behind him being the present Head of the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies at Meerut College, Meerut. He has always positive attitude toward his subject. His knowledge and mastery on the subject is enormous. Manish Raj Singh, is a student in the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies at Meerut College, Meerut has shown keen interest and dedication towards the subject completely. He is very hardworking and enthusiastic. He has left no stones unturned to get the details about the topics of the subjects and comes out with the best possible outcome. His knowledge of the subject is evident from the work produced in this detailed book. The book has wonderfully covered the background, political views, role, tasks and the major technological development during these military and rescue operations. The book shall be of great help to the students of Defence Studies/Military Science of various Colleges and Universities all over India to get a fair idea about the strengths of India’s Operations to enhance their knowledge about operations for their use in subject for competitive examinations as applicable to them at various levels of their career. The general readers too will get a fair idea about the strength of Indian Forces during these operations at national and international level. This will give them the confidence to work hard in their concerned fields towards the development of a stronger India that is capable to take on its adversaries neighboring countries anytime and defeat their ongoing plans to imbalance its development as a power in South Asia. I once again congratulate both the writers for giving a comprehensive concise look at Indian Operations through their book and wish them all the success in their future endeavors. Maj. Gen. A K Shukla (VSM)

The Punjab Under Imperialism, 1885-1947

The Punjab Under Imperialism, 1885-1947
Author: Imran Ali
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 277
Release: 2014-07-14
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1400859581

The Punjab--an area now divided between Pakistan and India--experienced significant economic growth under British rule from the second half of the nineteenth century. This expansion was founded on the construction of an extensive network of canals in the western parts of the province. The ensuing agricultural settlement transformed the previously barren area into one of the most important regions of commercial agriculture in South Asia. Nevertheless, Imran Ali argues that colonial strategy distorted the development of what came to be called the "bread basket" of the Indian subcontinent. This comprehensive survey of British rule in the Punjab demonstrates that colonial policy making led to many of the socio-economic and political problems currently plaguing Pakistan and Indian Punjab. Subordinating developmental goals to its political and military imperatives, the colonial state cooperated with the dominant social classes, the members of which became the major beneficiaries of agricultural colonization. Even while the rulers tried to use the vast resources of the Punjab to advance imperial purposes, they were themselves being used by their collaborators to advance implacable private interests. Such processes effectively retarded both nationalism and social change and resulted in the continued backwardness of the region even after the departure of the British. Originally published in 1988. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Global Forensic Cultures

Global Forensic Cultures
Author: Ian Burney
Publisher: JHU Press
Total Pages: 357
Release: 2019-05-21
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1421427508

Essays explore forensic science in global and historical context, opening a critical window onto contemporary debates about the universal validity of present-day genomic forensic practices. Contemporary forensic science has achieved unprecedented visibility as a compelling example of applied expertise. But the common public view—that we are living in an era of forensic deliverance, one exemplified by DNA typing—has masked the reality: that forensic science has always been unique, problematic, and contested. Global Forensic Cultures aims to rectify this problem by recognizing the universality of forensic questions and the variety of practices and institutions constructed to answer them. Groundbreaking essays written by leaders in the field address the complex and contentious histories of forensic techniques. Contributors also examine the co-evolution of these techniques with the professions creating and using them, with the systems of governance and jurisprudence in which they are used, and with the socioeconomic, political, racial, and gendered settings of that use. Exploring the profound effect of "location" (temporal and spatial) on the production and enactment of forms of forensic knowledge during the century before CSI became a household acronym, the book explores numerous related topics, including the notion of burden of proof, changing roles of experts and witnesses, the development and dissemination of forensic techniques and skills, the financial and practical constraints facing investigators, and cultures of forensics and of criminality within and against which forensic practitioners operate. Covering sites of modern and historic forensic innovation in the United States, Europe, and farther-flung imperial and global settings, these essays tell stories of blood, poison, corpses; tracking persons and attesting documents; truth-making, egregious racism, and sinister surveillance. Each chapter is a finely grained case study. Collectively, Global Forensic Cultures supplies a historical foundation for the critical appraisal of contemporary forensic institutions which has begun in the wake of DNA-based exonerations. Contributors: Bruno Bertherat, José Ramón Bertomeu Sánchez, Binyamin Blum, Ian Burney, Marcus B. Carrier, Simon A. Cole, Christopher Hamlin, Jeffrey Jentzen, Projit Bihari Mukharji, Quentin (Trais) Pearson, Mitra Sharafi, Gagan Preet Singh, Heather Wolffram