Synopsis This collection of essays on history, society and culture in modern India is most topical as they deal with social stratification and mobility in India. They emphasise the need to study the ideology. These essays bring out the underlying processes that shape the paradoxical and complex feature of inherently pluralistic society. They also deal with topical and cardinal issues of nation building in India. The traditional social structure has been examined with its interaction with colonialism and modernisation of the Indian society.