Synopsis Many developing countries are confronted with the twin imperatives of development and modernization. Each has responded in a distinct manner to these impulses. The underlying premises and perceptions shape public policy. The developing societies in the Muslim world are a part of this wider process. The Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi, has initiated a programme of studying the dynamics of change in Muslim societies in the neighbourhood of India with the objective of identifying the forces at work and the impact they may have on future developments.