New World Empires : Cultures of Power and Governance in the Americas

This book re-examines the evolution of the state in the Americas, from pre-Columbian societies to European empires and their successor states—Mexico, Brazil, and the United States. Niaz argues that the near-total destruction of indigenous societies produced fundamentally colonial states, unlike those in Asia and Africa. Independence intensified inequality and repression, with revolutionary ideals masking coercive regimes. Offering a South Asian perspective, the volume situates the Americas within a broader global history of governance and arbitrary rule, aimed at scholars and students alike.