Professors Aditya and Mridula Mukherjee’s timeless works brought back anew

Penguin Random House India is proud to announce the continuation of the esteemed series in Modern Indian History, edited by late Professor Bipan Chandra, and Professors Mridula Mukherjee and Aditya Mukherjee. Now under the banner of The Penguin History of Modern India, this transition marks an important milestone ensuring the revival of backlist volumes that continue to be in demand among readers. In addition, Penguin is delighted to unveil the forthcoming release of a revised and updated edition of RSS, School Texts and the Murder of Mahatma Gandhi: The Hindu Communal Project. Publishing under Penguin’s Vintage imprint, this is scheduled to release in 2024, and the series in 2025.

Provisionally titled, The Penguin History of Modern India, thisis a groundbreaking sixteen-volume series that is poised to offer an unparalleled and definitive exploration of India’s rich historical narrative. It delves into the intricacies of India’s national liberation struggle and other pivotal movements while meticulously examining the profound transformations in economy, society, and culture within both colonial and independent India. Edited by the late Professor Bipan Chandra, and Professors Mridula Mukherjee and Aditya Mukherjee, this series has long been revered for its distinguished historical contributions.

In addition to this, RSS, School Texts and the Murder of Mahatma Gandhi: The Hindu Communal Project is a compelling work that undertakes a unique perspective by juxtaposing three disparate yet interconnected issues: the nature of RSS school textbooks, the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, and the ideological underpinnings of figures such as Savarkar and Golwalkar. By delving deep into each aspect, the book underscores the profound interlinkages between them, shedding light on the pervasive threat that communalism poses to our society.

Commenting on the re-publishing of their titles, Professors Aditya and Mridula remark, ‘We are delighted that the Sage Series in Modern Indian History which was edited by late Professor Bipan Chandra, and us has now been taken over by Penguin. The series, which tried to strike out a distinct historiographical path, shall now continue as The Penguin History of Modern India Series. Most of the back volumes which had gone out of print and continue to be in demand will be brought out again. Very importantly, the volumes will now be available in paperback, considerably increasing their accessibility. The series shall continue with new titles under our general editorship. Penguin is also bringing out a much revised and considerably updated and enlarged version of our book RSS, School Texts and the Murder of Mahatma Gandhi: The Hindu Communal Project. We are proud to expand our decades-long association with Penguin in the area of non-fiction.’

Premanka Goswami, Associate Publisher and Head of Backlist, Penguin Random House India, says, ‘Professors Mridula and Aditya Mukherjee are two of the most eminent historians of our times. Their understanding, interpretation and writings on India’s freedom struggle, people’s movements, class struggle and economy, among others, left a deep impact on our perception of India. The Penguin History of Modern India series and RSS, School Texts and the Murder of Mahatma Gandhi will add immense value to Penguin’s prestigious non-fiction list. I’m excited about the publication of these titles in the near future.’

Milee Ashwarya, Publisher, Adult Publishing Group, Penguin Random House India, says, ‘I am delighted at the acquisition of the The Penguin History of Modern India Series edited by eminent scholars and historians Mridula Mukherjee and Aditya Mukherjee as well as RSS, School Texts and the Murder of Mahatma Gandhi: The Hindu Communal Project which will be available in revised and updated editions. An invaluable and in-depth collection of books, these will add significantly to the history and politics lists at Penguin Random House India.’

About the authors

Aditya Mukherjee was Professor of Contemporary Indian History at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi where he taught for more than forty years. He was Dean, the School of Social Sciences, JNU, Director of The Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Advanced Study, JNU, the President, Indian History Congress, (Modern India), 2007 and the General President of the Indian History Congress 2023-2024. He has been Visiting Professor/fellow at Duke University, U.S.A., La Sapienza, University of Rome, Italy, Institutes of Advanced Study at University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, University of Tokyo, Japan, Institute of Advanced Study at Nantes, France and Institutes of Advanced Study at Lancaster, UK. He has authored Political Economy of Colonial and Post-Colonial India, Imperialism, Nationalism and the Making of the Indian Capitalist Class. He has co-authored three best-selling books India’s Struggle for Independence, and India Since Independence, as well as RSS, School Texts and The Murder of Mahatma Gandhi: The Hindu Communal Project. These books have been translated into several languages and some of them have sold more than half a million copies. He has edited, A Centenary History of the Indian National Congress, 1964-1984, Vol. V and Congress and the Making of the Indian Nation, 2 Volumes, Academic Publishers, 2011. He has published more than fifty articles in reputed journals and edited volumes and has delivered about 75 lectures and seminars all over the world outside India.

Mridula Mukherjee has taught History at the Centre for Historical Studies, JNU, for over four decades. She was Director, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, from 2006 to 2011, and Dean, School of Social Sciences, JNU from 2012 to 2014. She has been a Visiting Professor / Fellow at La Sapienza, University of Rome; Institutes of Advanced Study at Nantes, France, at University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Lancaster, UK: the University of Tokyo, Japan, and Duke University, USA. She was member of the External Advisory Board, Long Room Hub, Research Institute for Arts and Humanities, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. She co-authored India’s Struggle for Independence and India Since Independence, both best sellers published by Penguin with multiple reprints and translations and over half a million copies sold. She also authored Peasants in India’s Non-violent Revolution, and Colonialising Agriculture: The Myth of Punjab Exceptionalism, and RSS, School Textbooks and the Murder of Mahatma Gandhi: The Hindu Communal Project.