Kanchan Chandra is Professor of Politics at New York University. She is lead author of Constructivist Theories of Ethnic Politics (2012), author of Why Ethnic Parties Succeed: Patronage and Ethnic Headcounts in India (2004), and has written articles for several leading journals. Her work has been supported by fellowships and grants from the Princeton Program on Democracy and Development, the Carnegie and Guggenheim Foundations, the National Science Foundation, the United States Institute of Peace, the Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioural Sciences at Stanford University, Connecticut, the Russell Sage Foundation, and the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies.

'This book delves into dynasticism in Indian politics, sometimes to surprising effect. In so doing it sets the stage for future work in the area. A valuable addition to the active literature on political dynasties.' Ernesto dal Bó, University of California, Berkeley

• Prologue Kanchan Chandra; 1. Democratic dynasties: state, party and family in contemporary Indian politics Kanchan Chandra; 2. The 'old regime' confronts democracy Lloyd I. Rudolph and Susanne H. Rudolph; 3. A sign of backwardness? Where dynastic leaders are elected in India Francesca Jensenius; 4. Dynasticism across Indian political parties Adam Ziegfeld; 5. Women, dynasties and democracy in India Amrita Basu; 6. Reservations and dynastic politics Simon Chauchard; 7. Why forward castes have a dynastic advantage: dynasty, party and co-ethnic favouritism Kanchan Chandra; 8. Dynastic path to power Anjali Thomas Bohlken; Appendix; Index.

Kanchan Chandra is Professor of Politics at New York University. She is lead author of Constructivist Theories of Ethnic Politics (2012), author of Why Ethnic Parties Succeed: Patronage and Ethnic Headcounts in India (2004), and has written articles for several leading journals. Her work has been supported by fellowships and grants from the Princeton Program on Democracy and Development, the Carnegie and Guggenheim Foundations, the National Science Foundation, the United States Institute of Peace, the Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioural Sciences at Stanford University, Connecticut, the Russell Sage Foundation, and the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies.

'This book delves into dynasticism in Indian politics, sometimes to surprising effect. In so doing it sets the stage for future work in the area. A valuable addition to the active literature on political dynasties.' Ernesto dal Bó, University of California, Berkeley

• Prologue Kanchan Chandra; 1. Democratic dynasties: state, party and family in contemporary Indian politics Kanchan Chandra; 2. The 'old regime' confronts democracy Lloyd I. Rudolph and Susanne H. Rudolph; 3. A sign of backwardness? Where dynastic leaders are elected in India Francesca Jensenius; 4. Dynasticism across Indian political parties Adam Ziegfeld; 5. Women, dynasties and democracy in India Amrita Basu; 6. Reservations and dynastic politics Simon Chauchard; 7. Why forward castes have a dynastic advantage: dynasty, party and co-ethnic favouritism Kanchan Chandra; 8. Dynastic path to power Anjali Thomas Bohlken; Appendix; Index.