From the Ruins of Empire

This book explores the responses of Asian intellectuals to Western modernity and colonialism, particularly focusing on key figures from India, China, and the former Ottoman Empire.

Mishra delves into the historical context, starting with Japan's victory in the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, and examines how these intellectuals led revolts against Western dominance and aimed to create a post-colonial greater Asia.

The book highlights the contributions of thinkers such as Tagore, Gandhi, Liang Qichao, Sun Yatsen, and Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, showing how their ideas influenced contemporary China, India, and the Muslim world.

It challenges the common narrative of a passive Asia and instead reveals the active resistance and intellectual movements that shaped modern Asia.