'A subtle and impressive work of scholarship, which breaks new ground in the history of modern India'--Ramachandra Guha

How India Became Democratic tells the untold story of the preparation of the electoral roll on the basis of universal adult franchise in the world's largest democracy and offers a new view of the way democracy captured the political imagination of its diverse peoples.

Indians became voters before they were citizens--by the time the constitution came into force in 1950, the notion of universal franchise and electoral democracy were already grounded. Drawing on rich archival materials, Shani shows how the Indian people were a driving force in the making of democratic citizenship as they struggled for their voting rights.