The Raj: A Journey through Ten Documents

Not many new books come with a “trigger warning”. This one does. Just in case the reader thinks the opinions of the East India Company and the British Raj are endorsed by the publisher, there is a stern disclaimer in a prefatory note. “These are not the views of the editor or Bloomsbury India and do not reflect our mission and values which are clearly stated on our website.” It would be strange if they did, given that the book begins with the Charter awarded by Elizabeth I to the nascent “Company of Merchants” in 1600. Things have moved on since then. Having said that, this is an original approach to the colonial history of the Indian subcontinent. The author, who teaches in the English Department at Hyderabad University, has chosen extracts from 10 significant texts by Britons writing about their work, their lives and their experiences across 350 years of involvement and interaction. His choice is good, including chapters on mapping the vast country by the geographer James Rennell, the narrative of the Black Hole of Calcutta by a survivor, Zephaniah Holwell, the suppression of thugee (ritual murder) by William Sleeman and guidance for memsahibs on running a successful household.