India under colonial rule : 1700-1885 / Douglas M. Peers.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Peers, Douglas M.

Series:

Seminar studies in history

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

India--History--18th century.

India.

History.

India--History--19th century.

Physical Description:

xvi, 163 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm.

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Harlow, England ; New York : Pearson Education, 2006.

Summary:

Between 1700 and 1885 the British became the paramount power on the Indian subcontinent, their authority extending from Sri Lanka in the south to the Himalayas in the north. It was a massive empire, inspiring both pride and anxiety amongst the British, and forcing change upon the lives of its Indian subjects.

Yet this is not simply a history of conquest and subjugation. Interaction and interdependency powerfully shaped the histories of all involved, resulting in a hybrid empire, though one which increasingly the British sought to define and control. By 1885 India may have become the jewel in the British crown, but already a series of changes had occurred within Indian society that would set the foundations for the modern states of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Providing a concise introduction to these dramatic changes, this volume: Introduces the major historical developments and debates, Considers both the British and the Indian perspectives on colonialism, Analyses the social, economic and cultural dimensions to colonial rule, in particular how race and gender helped structure British and Indian relationships, Explores how colonial rule impinged on the average Indian.

Contents:

1 Background and Historiography 3

Part 2 Analysis 9

2 Empires and Entrepreneurs, 1700-65 11

Environment and the Physical Setting 11

Mughal Eclipse and the Rise of Regional Powers 15

Europeans and the Trading World of the Indian Ocean 20

Competition and Conflict in South India 23

The Revolution in Bengal 26

3 Conquest and Consolidation, 1765-1857 30

British-Indian Relations on the Eve of Conquest 31

Institutions and Ideologies of the Raj 34

Imperial Priorities: Security, Stability, Profitability 38

An Age of Reform? 51

Indian Reactions and Initiatives 59

4 Rebellion and Reconstruction, 1857-85 64

The Indian Rebellion, 1857-58 64

Legacies of the Rebellion 71

Economies and Communities under Strain 79

The Indian National Congress and the Limits of Nationalism 86

Part 3 Assessment 89

5 The Legacies of Empire in Britain and India 91

Part 4 Documents 93.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 135-150) and index.

ISBN:

058231738X

OCLC:

62755651

Publisher Number:

9780582317383 (alk. paper)