In the Shadows of the State

"Presenting a sophisticated analysis of original empirical material based on sensitive long-term ethnographic fieldwork, Alpa Shah directly challenges existing frameworks in and beyond academic anthropology. She provides important new perspectives on indigenous governance, development, the anthropology of the state, corruption and local democracy, the politics of conservation, and environmental and Maoist movements. "In the Shadows of the State" demonstrates the value of critical ethnography; it is likely to be read as an exemplar."--David Mosse, author of "Cultivating Development: An Ethnography of Aid Policy and Practice"