Shattered Lands: Five Partitions and the Making of Modern Asia - Sam Dalrymple

Shattered Lands: Five Partitions and the Making of Modern Asia

(Author: Sam Dalrymple)

NUMBER ONE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER | ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING FINALIST 2026

Named a Best Book of the Year in Financial Times, The Week, The Spectator, BBC History, NPR, and History Today.

A century ago, a colossal swathe of the world—encompassing present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Bhutan, Yemen, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait—was bound together under a single imperial administration: the British Raj. Home to a quarter of the global population, this vast network shared a common currency in the Indian rupee and traveled under passports stamped 'Indian Empire'.

Then, in less than fifty years, this massive realm shattered. Five distinct partitions tore the domain apart, carving out new nation-states, redrawing global maps, and leaving behind an enduring legacy of border disputes, exile, and geopolitical division.

In Shattered Lands, historian and writer Sam Dalrymple presents the definitive, groundbreaking narrative of how the Indian Empire was unmade. Sweeping from the shores of the Red Sea to the dense jungles of Southeast Asia, this magnificently researched history reveals a saga of imperial ambition, betrayal, forgotten conflicts, and lines drawn in ink and fire.

Shortlisted for the Eastern Eye Award for History, the Ramnath Goenka Sahithya Samman, and the Atta Galatta Book Prize, Shattered Lands is an indispensable read for understanding the origins of modern Asia's political landscape.

Key Features:

• Award-Winning & Acclaimed History: Finalist for the 2026 Orwell Prize for Political Writing and named a Best Book of the Year by top global publications.

• First Comprehensive Account of the Five Partitions: Examines the broader unraveling of the Raj beyond 1947, including the Middle East, Gulf states, and Southeast Asia.

• Masterful & Vivid Storytelling: Combines deep archival research with compelling narratives of political intrigue, human displacement, and border making.

• Essential Geopolitical Background: Crucial reading for scholars, history enthusiasts, and general readers interested in South Asian, Middle Eastern, and colonial history.