Sajal Nag retired as Professor of History, Assam Uni­versity, Silchar. He is currently Distinguished Professor of History, The Assam Royal Global University, Guwahati. He was the first Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Chair Professor of Social Sciences, Presidency University, Kolkata, a former Commonwealth Fellow 2004-05 at Queen’s University, Belfast, Charles Wallace Fellow at the University of Cambridge 2008 and Senior Fellow at Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, 2013-2014. He is the author of The Beleaguered Nation: Making and Unmaking of the Assamese Nationality; Pied Pipers in North-East India: Bamboo-Flowers, Rat-famine and the Politics of Philanthropy (1881-2007); and editor of Mughals and the North East: Encounter and Assimilation in Medieval India; Black Magic, Witchcraft and Occult: Secret Cultural Practices in India, among others.

• Preface to the Second Edition 9 Preface to the First Edition 11 Abbreviations 13 Prologue 171. The Backdrop 31 2. The Setting 773. The Crisis 100 4. The Defence 122 5. The Legitimization 173 6. The Accession 207 7. The Resistance 264 8. The Negotiation 310 9. The Ramifications 35710. The Transformation 375 11. The Discourses 395 12. The Update 434 Epilogue 471 Bibliography 491 Index 499

Sajal Nag retired as Professor of History, Assam Uni­versity, Silchar. He is currently Distinguished Professor of History, The Assam Royal Global University, Guwahati. He was the first Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Chair Professor of Social Sciences, Presidency University, Kolkata, a former Commonwealth Fellow 2004-05 at Queen’s University, Belfast, Charles Wallace Fellow at the University of Cambridge 2008 and Senior Fellow at Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, 2013-2014. He is the author of The Beleaguered Nation: Making and Unmaking of the Assamese Nationality; Pied Pipers in North-East India: Bamboo-Flowers, Rat-famine and the Politics of Philanthropy (1881-2007); and editor of Mughals and the North East: Encounter and Assimilation in Medieval India; Black Magic, Witchcraft and Occult: Secret Cultural Practices in India, among others.

• Preface to the Second Edition 9 Preface to the First Edition 11 Abbreviations 13 Prologue 171. The Backdrop 31 2. The Setting 773. The Crisis 100 4. The Defence 122 5. The Legitimization 173 6. The Accession 207 7. The Resistance 264 8. The Negotiation 310 9. The Ramifications 35710. The Transformation 375 11. The Discourses 395 12. The Update 434 Epilogue 471 Bibliography 491 Index 499