Old Regions, New States: Why is Governance Weak in the Indus-Ganges Plain?
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2010
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Mayer, P.
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Asian Journal of Political Science, 2010; 18(1):20-47
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Peter Mayer
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Abstract
A region of states considered 'critical' and 'in danger' of state failure—Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh—lie on India's land borders. Although India itself is at low risk of state failure, a number of provincial Indian states in the Ganges plain—the so-called BIMARU states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh—share many features of state weakness and poor developmental performance. This article canvasses a range of explanations for why there are so many ineffective and weak national and provincial governments in this broad geographic region. The article looks at the evidence for pre-colonial influences (kinship, social and political organisation), colonial transformations (land settlements), and post-colonial developments.
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© 2010 Asian Journal of Political Science