This Fissured Land: An Ecological History of India

Rating:
Summary: a nationalist account of ecological India
Review: There are many novel parts to this book that make it worth reading. The authors' contention that the caste system is a result of a sort of speciesation of culture is very interesting but seems to be prone to the same troubles as the environmental process theories of the 1970's. There are a few obvious historical misrepresentations and the authors frequently ignore events that do not suit their argument, but on the whole Gadgil and Guha are responsible reporters and interpreters of the growth of India's environmental problems, particularly in respect to deforestation. Theirargument itself is also subject to flaws, not the least of which is a fiercely nationalistic belief that the environmental dark age began at the same moment Europeans first set foot in the subcontinent. I realize that I may sound harshly judgemental of this book, but I truly can advocate it to anyone with an interest in the eco-history of India, a subject that has yet to have a definative work published.