Includes bibliographical references (pages 471-472) and index.

The modish dresser meets the Mahatma -- Gandhi's original sin: injecting religion into politics -- The two-nation theory: a preamble to partition -- A rising tide of violence -- Born in blood -- The infant twins at war -- Growing apart -- Nehru's "forward policy": a step too far -- Shastri's tallest order: Pakistan's nightmare comes alive -- Indira Gandhi slays the two-nation theory -- Zulfikar Ali Bhutto: the savior of West Pakistan -- Islamist Zia Ul Haq, builder of the A-bomb -- Benazir-Rajiv rapport cut short -- Gate-crashing the nuclear club -- General Musharraf buckles under US pressure -- Nuclear-armed twins, eyeball-to-eyeball -- Manmohan Singh's changing interlocutors -- Competing for Kabul -- Shared culture, rising commerce -- Overview and conclusions.