The British in this book lived in India from shortly after the reign of Elizabeth I until well into the reign of Elizabeth II. They were soldiers, officials, businessmen, doctors and missionaries of both sexes, planters, engineers and many others, together with children, wives and sisters.
This book describes their lives, their work and their extraordinarily varied interactions with the native populations; it also records the very diverse roles they played in the three centuries of British-Indian history.
David Gilmour’s work of scholarly recovery portrays individuals with understanding and humour as he draws on the recorded experiences of many different sorts of Britons to create a magnificent tapestry of British life in India.
Inspired by Kipling
When recently I began to write a social history of British India, I realized I would have to keep Rudyard Kipling under control. I could not endlessly compare people to characters in a Kipling story...
Read more
Leave your review