Anglo-India and the End of Empire

The traditional image of the Raj is of an aloof, pampered, and prejudiced British elite ruling over an oppressed and hostile Indian subject population. However, the earlier, more cosmopolitan period of East India Company rule saw interracial sex and occasional marriage, leading to a large and growing mixed-race community known as Anglo-Indians. Despite its faults, Empire could not have been maintained without the active support of many colonial subjects, including Indian elites, professionals, civil servants, businesspeople, and minority groups. Independence was profoundly unsettling to those destined to become minorities in the new nation, and Anglo-Indians were no exception. This refreshing account looks at the dramatic end of British rule in India through Anglo-Indian eyes, offering a perspective that is neither colonial apologia nor nationalist polemic and resonating with the complex identity debates of the twenty-first century.

Format: Hardback
Length: 370 pages
Publication date: 08 September 2022
Publisher: C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd

The conventional portrayal of the Raj depicts an aloof, indulged, and biased British elite ruling over an oppressed and hostile Indian subject population. This portrayal, while serving as a caricature, obscures as much truth as it reveals. It is important to note that the British had not always been so distant. In the earlier, more cosmopolitan era of East India Company rule, there was a significant presence of interracial sex and occasional marriages, accompanied by greater cultural openness and exchange. This resulted in the formation of a substantial and growing mixed-race community, known as Anglo-Indians, by the early twentieth century.

Despite its flaws, the Empire could not have been sustained without the active support of numerous colonial subjects. These individuals included Indian elites, professionals, civil servants, businesspeople, and minority groups of various kinds. They thrived under the patronage of the imperial state and could be strategically utilized in a divide-and-rule strategy to prolong colonial rule. The attainment of independence was profoundly unsettling for those who were destined to become minorities in the new nation, including the Anglo-Indians.

This captivating account offers a unique perspective on the dramatic end of British rule in India, seen through the eyes of Anglo-Indians. It avoids the pitfalls of colonial apologia and nationalist polemic, providing a nuanced and balanced analysis. The history of Anglo-Indians resonates strongly with the complex identity debates of the twenty-first century, highlighting the enduring impact of colonialism and the ongoing struggle for self-determination and recognition.

Weight: 600g
Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781787383128