Britain's imperial muse : the classics and Britain's Indian empire, 1784-1914 / Christopher Hagerman, Assistant Professor of History, Albion College, Michigan, USA.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hagerman, Christopher, 1971-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Relations.

Elite (Social sciences).

Discourse analysis--Political aspects.

Discourse analysis.

Classicism.

India--History--British occupation, 1765-1947.

India.

History.

British--India--History.

British.

Classicism--Political aspects--Great Britain.

Discourse analysis--Political aspects--Great Britain.

Elite (Social sciences)--Great Britain.

Great Britain--Relations--India.

Great Britain.

India--Relations--Great Britain.

Great Britain--Colonies--History.

Colonies.

Great Britain--Intellectual life.

Intellectual life.

Imperialism.

Physical Description:

ix, 266 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire : Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.

Summary:

Located at the intersection of British imperial and cultural history, and classical reception studies, Britain's Imperial Muse explores the classics' contribution to Britain's culture of imperialism and to the experience of empire in India through the long nineteenth century. Dismissing grammar-grind stereotypes, this study argues that classical education left powerful images of empire in many students destined to play a part in Britain's imperial drama; and that these classically founded images constituted a key pillar of British imperial identity. But it simultaneously acknowledges the classics' role as a rhetorical arsenal used and abused by commentators to justify imperial domination, particularly of India. In its final act, the book follows the classics to India, where they provided knowledge of Indian civilization, defined and maintained the cultural solidarity of the imperial elite, entrenched the 'difference' of Indians, and helped Britons cope with the social, physical, and cultural alienations of life in India. Book jacket.

Contents:

Classical education and Britain's imperial elite

Empires and imperialism in British classical discourse

Classical discourse and British imperial identity: the nature of empire

Classical discourse and British imperial identity: the civilizing mission

Classical discourse and British imperial identity: the imperial character

Classical discourse and the decline and fall of empires

Classical discourse and British conceptions of India

Classical discourse in British India I: coping with life in India

Classical discourse in British India II: secret knowledge.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780230278615

0230278612

OCLC:

820434180