Outside the Fold: Conversion, Modernity and Belief

to a situation in north Bihar what the author calls a "dual government" state controlling the law and administration and the landlords controlling the society and economy. This is a conclusion that can hardly be disputed. The publisher's claim in the blurb that the book is "a significant contribution towards an understanding of the origin and development of agrarian society in India" is legitimate. The book deserves to be read by all those interested in India's agrarian history; particularly of Bihar.