Synopses & Reviews
Most Raj histories deal with the actions, motives and thoughts of the British who occupied, governed, and administered the sub-continent. This book subverts the traditional Raj history and tells not of the rulers but instead concentrates on the Indian workers, the farmers, the millhands, the servants and the gardeners. The book uncovers the untold tales of those who were subjected to the rule of the British during the Raj.
Turning the traditional British-centric history of the Raj on its head, Chandrika Kaul and Ian St John have produced a fascinating history of the peoples subject to the rule of the British during the Raj. The period covered dates from 1600 with the emergence of the East India Company and ends in 1947 when India finally became an independent state but was devastated by partition, massacre and mass migration. This is a well-considered account of the impact of British rule on the political, social, cultural, intellectual and religious lives of Indians within the Raj. Subjects that are investigated in detail are the effect of British rule on the government, economy, cultural life, family life, religious life, the caste system and more.
For the first time a history of Raj has been produced which gives the history of the Indians subject to British rule during that time. Chandrika Kaul and Ian St John have written a thorough and well considered account of India during the Raj giving the life experiences of those subject to British rule. The book begins in 1600 with the emergence of the East India Company and ends in 1947 with Indian independence, partition, massacre and mass migration. A narrative history is given for the entire Raj period and its impact on the Indian population is considered comprehensively. There are detailed accounts of the influence of British rule on the government, legal system, army and policing of India; the economic experience of peasants, tradesmen, craftsmen, merchants and the urban poor; the effects on family life, women, the caste system, health care and life expectancy; and impact on the cultural, intellectual, linguistic and religious spheres. This is not simply a denunciation of British rule in India, it is a re-evaluation of the time and the influences that the two cultures had on each other. Written by an Indian woman and a British man, both respected academics, the evidence is carefully considered and reviewed to assess who truly were the winners and losers during this time of profound change for both cultures. And is it possible to talk in such terms now that it is 50 years since the end of the Raj and relationships between the two independent nations are now stronger than ever?
Review
'There has been, of course, an abundance of scholarship, but no good synthesis to make it widely available. This is what St. John set out to provide, and he has succeeded admirably. . . .This is a splendid introduction to its remarkable story. Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries." - Choice
Synopsis
Most Raj histories deal with the actions, motives and thoughts of the British who occupied, governed, and administered the sub-continent. This book subverts the traditional Raj history and tells not of the rulers but instead concentrates on the Indian workers, the farmers, the millhands, the servants and the gardeners. The book uncovers the untold tales of those who were subjected to the rule of the British during the Raj.
Synopsis
This book offers a fresh view of the history of the British Raj from the perspective of the colonised peoples of India.
Synopsis
This book opens up a frequently neglected aspect of the rise of British power in India: namely, the impact of that process upon the lives the Indian people themselves for three centuries.
Synopsis
• Provides a clear, easy-to-follow, and well-structured account of a complex and often confusing period of history that laid the basis for modern India
• Focuses upon the impact of political and social events upon the lived experience of the Indian people throughout the book
• Presents a thematic treatment of a number of strategic areas of Indian life, notably the economy, social structure, culture, religion, and the experience of the state
• Surveys the process by which the East India Company assumed the governance of India and the various factors that motivated this development
Synopsis
• A chronological account of the rise of British power in India from 1600 to 1859
• A map of the Indian sub-continent that identifies chief places mentioned in text
• An index containing analytical as well as name and subject entries
Synopsis
Most traditional Raj histories deal with the actions, motives, and thoughts of the British who occupied, governed, and administered the subcontinent.
The Making of the Raj: India under the East India Company flips the focus and tells not of the rulers but concentrates on the Indian workers—the farmers, the millhands, the servants, and the gardeners. The book uncovers the untold and priceless tales of the individuals who were subjected to the rule of the British during the Raj, describing the impacts upon the lives of Indians themselves.
The book traces the history of British interactions with India from their beginnings in the early 1600s, through to the establishment of Raj in the wake of the Indian Mutiny of 1857. The first part provides a narrative of the transformation of the East Indian company from trading enterprise to governing authority. The second portion of the text considers the effects of these developments thematically, examining issues such as the organization of agriculture, the development of the caste system, and the myriad changes in cultural and religious life.
About the Author
DR CHANDRIKA KAUL is Lecturer in Modern British and Imperial History, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, ScotlandDR IAN ST JOHN is Head of History, Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, Elstree, UK