| Chapter No. | Chapter Title | Chapter Author | Page No. |
| I | Princes and People | | 22 |
| The All-India Framework | | 22 |
| Progress to Self-Government | | 23 |
| The Princes and the Reforms | | 25 |
| II | The Native State of Travancore | | 28 |
| geography and Climate | | 29 |
| Origins of the State of Travancore | | 32 |
| Relations with the British | | 35 |
| The Social Structure | | 38 |
| Relations Between the Communities | | 47 |
| III | The Modernization of Travancore | | 50 |
| Hindu Reforms and Christianity | | 50 |
| Constitutional Developments | | 64 |
| The Regency | | 70 |
| IV | The Communal Problem in Politics | | 73 |
| The Last maharaja and the Triumvirate | | 73 |
| The Development of the Communal Problem | | 78 |
| The Legislature | | 81 |
| The Formation of the Joint Political Conference | | 85 |
| V | The Temple Entry Proclamation | | 91 |
| The Campaign for Temple Entry in Travancore | | 92 |
| The Proclamation (1936) | | 97 |
| VI | Communal Harmony | | 101 |
| The International fellowship | | 101 |
| The Kesavan Affair | | 105 |
| The Fellowship Council Meeting | | 108 |
| VI | The Travancore State Congress | | 111 |
| Congress in Travancore Before 1938 | | 113 |
| Causes of Local Discontent | | 120 |
| The Erosion of Civil Liberties | | 124 |
| The Demand for Responsible Government | | 126 |
| VIII | Events leading to Civil Disobedience | | 130 |
| State Congress Leadership | | 130 |
| The First Skirmishes | | 136 |
| The memorial and the memorandum | | 142 |
| The bank Crash | | 145 |
| The Budget Session | | 148 |
| IX | A Year of Struggle | | 155 |
| Civil Disobedience | | 155 |
| Labour and Youth Movement | | 162 |
| Renewed Agitation | | 169 |
| Intervention by Gandhi | | 176 |
| X | The Attitude of the Paramount Power | | 181 |
| The Political Service | | 183 |
| Sir C.P.'s Memorandum | | 188 |
| Responsibility for Seeing Justice Done: The Bank case | | 190 |
| XI | Travancore During the War | | 199 |
| The Indian National Congress and the State Congress | | 199 |
| The Shertallai Famine | | 205 |
| Government Versus Christians, State Congress and Labour | | 207 |
| "Quit India" | | 214 |
| The Hunger Years 1943-44 | | 217 |
| The General Election of 1944 | | 219 |
| XII | Renewal of Political Activity after the War | | 225 |
| The Cabinet Mission and the States | | 225 |
| Renewal of Agitation in Travancore | | 230 |
| The Dewan's "American" Constitution | | 236 |
| Punnapra-Vayalar | | 241 |
| XIII | Final Steps to Freedom | | 249 |
| The All-India Background | | 249 |
| The Proposed Independence of Travancore | | 251 |
| Plots against the Dewan | | 260 |
| Exit the Dewan | | 265 |
| The Semi-non-violent Plot | | 271 |
| From Union to Responsible Government | | 274 |
| XIV | Postscript | | 278 |
