Social Geography

Book Details

• Author: Aijazuddin Ahmad

• Publisher: Rawat Publications

• Language: English

• Edition: 1999

• ISBN: 9788170335429

• Publication Year: 1999

• Pages: 456

• Cover: Hardcover

• Sale Territory: India

About the Book

Social Geography by Aijazuddin Ahmad provides a comprehensive social-geographical interpretation of India, drawing on the author’s two decades of experience in teaching the subject. This book offers a deep dive into the complex social phenomena that define India today, as well as how these dynamics have shaped the nation over time.

The book critically examines key elements of social identity in India, such as ethnicity, tribe, caste, language, and religion, through a spatial lens. While much research has been done on the social structure of Indian society, this work goes beyond surface-level analysis, reconstructing broad outlines of social organization and identity at an all-India level and breaking down the data to regional levels.

By providing historical context, Social Geography reveals how important the spatial dimension is for understanding the socio-cultural evolution of India. It also underscores the significance of India’s socio-cultural diversity in shaping the country’s federal polity. This makes the book a valuable resource for students, researchers, and anyone interested in the intersection of geography and social structures in India.

Contents

• Social Geography: An Introduction

• Towards a Social Geography of India: Laying the Foundations

• Origins: Social Differentiation and Region Formation

• Tribe: Between the Two Worlds

• Caste: Everyone in One’s Own Place

• Language: A Bridge, Not a Cleavage

• Religion: Cast in a Regional Mould

• An Overview: Some Preliminary Conclusions

About the Author / Editor

Aijazuddin Ahmad is a renowned geographer with a distinguished academic background. He retired as Professor of Geography from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, where he served at the Centre for the Study of Regional Development from 1972 to 1997. Prior to this, he taught at Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. Ahmad’s earlier works include Demographic Transition, Social Structure and Regional Development, Mountain Population Pressure, An Atlas of Tribal India, and The Valley of Kashmir. His extensive academic and professional experience makes him an authoritative voice in the field of social geography.