People at Play

The essays in this collection explore the interplay between sport and society from interdisciplinary perspectives, examining the historical processes through which sports have become a significant part of everyday social life since the late nineteenth century; the book analyses how traditional and modern forms of sport have converged to shape distinct sporting cultures and identities, as well as the evolving trajectories of the public as fans, consumers, and vanguards of sport. Although the primary focus is on India, the themes discussed resonate strongly with other national contexts, and written by well-known scholars in the field, the volume makes a valuable contribution to the expanding body of sport studies, offering rich insights for students and scholars of history, cultural studies, and sociology, as well as for anyone seeking a national perspective on the political and economic significance of both contemporary and traditional sports in India.