Riots and Pogroms

Riots and Pogroms, edited by Paul R. Brass, examines collective violence and ethnic conflicts through case studies from multiple regions and time periods. The book assembles research from scholars analyzing riots, pogroms, and communal violence in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, and other nations. The contributing authors investigate how ethnic tensions transform into organized violence, with particular focus on the role of state actors and political institutions. Through detailed field research and historical analysis, they document the complex social and political factors that precede and enable large-scale violent events. The collection gives specific attention to the ways violence becomes ritualized and institutionalized within communities over time. The research demonstrates how riots and pogroms often follow predictable patterns and fulfill recurring social functions, rather than erupting spontaneously. This volume offers an essential framework for understanding how communal violence operates as a political tool and social mechanism. By examining multiple cases comparatively, the book reveals common elements in how ethnic violence is produced, sustained, and potentially prevented across different cultural contexts.

Readers note this academic collection offers detailed case studies of riots in India, Sri Lanka, and Eastern Europe. The book's theoretical framework analyzing riots as political productions receives specific praise from scholars and researchers. Readers liked: - Comprehensive documentation and research - Analysis of recurring patterns in riot organization - Focus on the role of political elites - Inclusion of multiple geographic regions Readers disliked: - Dense academic language makes it inaccessible for general readers - Some case studies are dated (pre-1996) - Limited coverage of more recent riots - High price point for academic print edition Available Ratings: Google Books: No ratings Amazon: No customer reviews Goodreads: No ratings JSTOR: 47 citations The book appears primarily used in academic settings, with most discussion occurring in scholarly journals rather than consumer review sites. Reader comments found mainly in academic paper citations and university course syllabi.

The Politics of Collective Violence by Charles Tilly The book examines historical patterns of group violence, social movements, and state responses through detailed case studies across multiple societies.

Ethnic Conflict and Civic Life by Ashutosh Varshney This work analyzes Hindu-Muslim violence in India through comparative studies of cities with different rates of ethnic conflict.

Violence and Social Orders by Douglass C. North, John Joseph Wallis, Barry R. Weingast The text presents a framework for understanding how societies deal with violence through different institutional arrangements and power structures.

The Logic of Violence in Civil War by Stathis Kalyvas This study provides a theoretical framework for understanding the patterns and dynamics of violence in civil conflicts through empirical evidence from multiple cases.

Votes and Violence by Steven Wilkinson The book explores the relationship between electoral competition and ethnic violence through analysis of riot patterns in India.

🔷 Author Paul Brass spent over 40 years studying political violence and ethnic conflicts in India, making him one of the foremost Western scholars on Indian political dynamics. 🔷 The book challenges the common belief that riots are spontaneous events, instead arguing they are often carefully orchestrated political acts with identifiable "riot specialists" who help instigate violence. 🔷 One of the case studies in the book examines the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi, which resulted in approximately 3,000 deaths and highlighted the role of political actors in organized violence. 🔷 The term "pogrom," which features in the book's title, originated in 19th century Russia to describe organized massacres of Jewish communities, but has since become used more broadly to describe any systematic ethnic violence. 🔷 The book's research methodology included extensive fieldwork and interviews with both perpetrators and victims of communal violence, providing rare firsthand accounts of how riots develop and spread.