The book critically examines the Indian state's relationship with its Muslim population, portraying the state as an apparatus of violence. Drawing on Weberian theory, the author, Fazal, argues that the state treats marginalized communities as insufficiently socialized into the legal order, thus justifying violence to enforce conformity—a dynamic termed the "epistemological production of unruly margins."

Comprising five chapters and an introduction, the book explores how Muslim identity is shaped through interactions with state institutions. Key themes include cow politics, collective violence, sacred spaces, and caste, showing how these intersections define Muslim experiences in India.

Fazal introduces the concept of the "mediator state," using the Bhagalpur riots to highlight institutional communal bias within the police. The book also examines Assamese politics and the construction of the "other," critiquing elite theories of violence and arguing that violence shapes identities.

One major focus is the politics of cow protection, particularly the Haryana Gauvansh Act (2015), illustrating how legal frameworks can reinforce authoritarianism and anti-Muslim sentiment. Fazal traces the evolution of Hindu identity through cow protection movements and critiques Gandhi’s influence on Hindu nationalism.

The author challenges dominant historiographies of communal violence, arguing that they often ignore the state’s complicity. The book also discusses the legal system’s majoritarian biases, using the Babri Masjid case as a key example.

In the final chapter, Fazal critiques legal and political frameworks around caste, conversion, and nationhood, focusing on Article 341 and the Scheduled Caste Order of 1950, and how court rulings have supported assimilationist ideologies like ghar wapsi.

Although it overlooks issues like mob lynching and wrongful incarceration of Muslim activists, the book makes a significant contribution to understanding the intersections of state power, Muslim identity, and authoritarianism in India.