Anthropologist and Imperialist: H.H. Risley and British India, 1873-1911

H. H. Risley was a British colonial administrator and anthropologist who served in Bengal and believed in the benefits of British rule in India. This book explores his career, examining the production and circulation of colonial knowledge and its connection to administration and policymaking. It also examines his scientific contributions to contemporary metropolitan anthropology and the importance of studying powerful officials and subaltern subjects in British India's history.

Format: Hardback
Length: 452 pages
Publication date: 05 October 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Sir Herbert Hope Risley, a prominent figure in the Indian Civil Service (ICS) from 1873 to 1910, played a significant role in Bengal and the colonial government. He is widely recognized as the preeminent anthropologist in British India. Beyond his professional pursuits, Risley held imperialist beliefs, firmly convinced that civilizing British rule would bring benefits to both India and Britain. This book aims to clarify Risley's simultaneous commitment to anthropology and imperialism for contemporary readers.

Anthropologist and Imperialist: H. H. Risley and British India, 1873–1911, delves into the multifaceted career of Risley, serving as a case study to explore the production and circulation of colonial knowledge, particularly anthropological knowledge. It examines the often loose and inconsistent connection between anthropology and administration and policymaking, as well as the broader government and state. Risley, like other officials engaged in anthropology in India, as well as the government itself, believed that ethnography and anthropology had both administrative and scientific value.

This book distinguishes itself from previous works on Indian colonial anthropology by carefully examining the scientific contributions of Risley in relation to contemporary metropolitan anthropology. It does not seek to reinvent grand political or intellectual history but rather emphasizes the importance of studying the powerful officials who ruled British India, as well as the minor provincial politicians and subaltern subjects, or the abstract forces such as colonialism and resistance, that have dominated recent historical scholarship.

Through a detailed inquiry into Risley's career and ideas, this book sheds light on the complexities of his thought and the broader context in which he operated. It demonstrates the significance of examining the lives and careers of individuals like Risley, who played pivotal roles in shaping the history of British India and the colonial world. By exploring the intersections of anthropology, imperialism, and governance, this book offers valuable insights into the complex and multifaceted nature of colonialism and its enduring impact on societies.

Weight: 1020g
Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032598048