Book excerpt: Social scientists, historians, and other scholars compare processes in the continent and the subcontinent, which are fairly equal in geographical space and cultural and political diversity. They cover the state in historical perspective, processes of identity formation, the role of the state and citizenship, and marginalization and social movements. The 16 essays are selected and highly revised from presentations at a March 1990 seminar in New Delhi. No index. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR