This volume examines the socioeconomic and cultural contexts of peasant mobilization in India from 1934 to 1947. It focuses on: the lived experiences of peasants oppressed both by the landlord and the colonial state; the modalities and methods of mobilization; the relationship between the leaders and their followers; the nature of crowd action; and the role played by religious symbolism and popular culture during such mobilization. This study on the politics of the masses, their aspirations and demands, the articulation of their problems and their collective endeavour will be crucial reading for anyone wanting to understand the nature of social movements in 20th century India.