Varshney–Wilkinson · VW riots · ICPSR 4342
Varshney–Wilkinson Dataset on Hindu–Muslim Violence in India, 1950–1995 (v2)
Varshney–Wilkinson data are used to study communal riots and Hindu–Muslim violence in India.
Ashutosh Varshney; Steven I. Wilkinson · 2006 · ICPSR
ICPSR · Ashutosh Varshney (Michigan) & Steven Wilkinson (Duke)
India, state, district, town/village
January 1950 – December 1995
Historical deposit (v2); extensions by later authors
What this is best for
Canonical long-run Hindu–Muslim riot panel for Indian political economy and ethnic conflict research
Main limitations
Times of India (Bombay edition) source base; ends 1995 in original ICPSR v2; later papers extend coding (e.g. to 2000/2006/2010) but those extensions are separate deposits—not the ICPSR file itself
Quick answers
Short research-facing answers derived from this catalog record.
- What is Varshney–Wilkinson Riots used for?
- Canonical long-run Hindu–Muslim riot panel for Indian political economy and ethnic conflict research
- How do you access Varshney–Wilkinson Riots data?
- Varshney–Wilkinson Riots is labeled “Registration required” on this guide. Open the access portal or documentation links on the record for the current host process—do not assume open download if registration or a DUA is required.
- What geography and time does Varshney–Wilkinson Riots cover?
- Geography: India, state, district, town/village. Time coverage: January 1950 – December 1995.
- What are the main limitations of Varshney–Wilkinson Riots?
- Times of India (Bombay edition) source base; ends 1995 in original ICPSR v2; later papers extend coding (e.g. to 2000/2006/2010) but those extensions are separate deposits—not the ICPSR file itself
Background & previous rounds
Ashutosh Varshney and Steven Wilkinson coded all Hindu–Muslim riots reported in The Times of India (Bombay edition) from 1950 through 1995—the first systematic all-India riot dataset of its kind (ICPSR 4342, DOI 10.3886/ICPSR04342). Fields include place, duration, casualties, arrests, and reported causes. Foundational for Ethnic Conflict and Civic Life (Varshney) and Votes and Violence (Wilkinson). Researchers often append post-1995 extensions (e.g. Mitra–Ray to 2000; Iyer–Shrivastava and others toward mid-2000s). For contemporary political violence/protests use ACLED; for organized lethal violence use UCDP GED; for terrorism incidents use GTD—none replace this historical communal-riot series.
Guides for using this data
Official portals, user guides, codebooks, and tutorials for access and analysis.
Variables5
Representative fields from ICPSR materials (confirm full dictionary on the official portal). Representative fields for the page table — verify the full dictionary on the official site.
Pairs well with
Many Indian data problems need survey + administrative combinations.