In 1940 the All-India Muslim League orchestrated the demand for independent Muslim states in India. Seven years later Pakistan was created amidst a communal holocaust of unprecedented proportions. Concentrating on the All-India Muslim League and its leader, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, The Sole Spokesman assesses the role of religious communalism and provincialism in shaping the movement for Pakistan.
Preface; Preface to the paperback edition; Introduction;
1. Jinnah between the wars; 2. Jinnah and the League's search for survival; 3. Jinnah and the Muslim-majority provinces; 4. Centre and province: Simla and the elections of 1945-46; 5. Jinnah's 'Pakistan' and the Cabinet Mission plan; 6. The interim government: Jinnah in retreat; 7. The end game: Mountbatten and partition.