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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
challenging
informative
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
informative
This book asked the question: Did colonialism benefit India in any way?
And the answer was just: Absolutely Not. **
The secret sauce of this book was its ability to teach me—a complete noob (if it wasn't in the Gandhi movie with Ben Kingsley, I didn't know it)—about India's colonial history.
And it was because this book was the complete opposite of one of those 'here's a laundry list of facts; draw your own conclusions' books. Instead, it had a suuuper tight argument (it was based on an Oxford debate that went viral online).
So all those history facts? Directly into my brain. By going through every single benefit supposedly brought by the British-democracy, newspapers, railroads, education systems, naval technology, textile industry-and ripping them to shreds...
(either because the British destroyed what was there and replaced it with something worse-like education, the textile industry, and nationalisms-or because Indians were so thoroughly excluded-like politics and the navy— that you can't say the British 'gave' them anything, or because the supposed benefit was just thinly veiled exploitation-like trains and basically all industries)
... I learned so much from this book.
And it wasn't just historical curiosity. Learning about the Partition of India and Pakistan when politicians are discussing a Two-State Solution somewhere else or historical forms of colonialism when we're questioning modern day forms of colonialism... this book felt extremely relevant.
I highly recommend the audiobook. I devoured it.
** with the exception of bringing tea cultivation and cricket to India 😆
And the answer was just: Absolutely Not. **
The secret sauce of this book was its ability to teach me—a complete noob (if it wasn't in the Gandhi movie with Ben Kingsley, I didn't know it)—about India's colonial history.
And it was because this book was the complete opposite of one of those 'here's a laundry list of facts; draw your own conclusions' books. Instead, it had a suuuper tight argument (it was based on an Oxford debate that went viral online).
So all those history facts? Directly into my brain. By going through every single benefit supposedly brought by the British-democracy, newspapers, railroads, education systems, naval technology, textile industry-and ripping them to shreds...
(either because the British destroyed what was there and replaced it with something worse-like education, the textile industry, and nationalisms-or because Indians were so thoroughly excluded-like politics and the navy— that you can't say the British 'gave' them anything, or because the supposed benefit was just thinly veiled exploitation-like trains and basically all industries)
... I learned so much from this book.
And it wasn't just historical curiosity. Learning about the Partition of India and Pakistan when politicians are discussing a Two-State Solution somewhere else or historical forms of colonialism when we're questioning modern day forms of colonialism... this book felt extremely relevant.
I highly recommend the audiobook. I devoured it.
** with the exception of bringing tea cultivation and cricket to India 😆
I confess I didn’t finish but only because I had to go travelling. Loads of data to support the perspective of the Indian people against the East India company and Great Britain. Interesting read given the Brexit situation - not enjoying not being in charge? So much I still have to learn but good to have read this.
challenging
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
i really enjoyed this book. i did a module for my BA on south asian politics so i knew a little about how india gained its independence and the conflicts with pakistan but it was really interesting getting to see the history of colonialism behind it. with that being said, i think i would have enjoyed it more if i did have a better knowledge of indian history other than gandhi and the more modern political disputes.
informative
medium-paced
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
informative
medium-paced
Short review: an eye opening account of rapacious ransacking of India at the hands of apathetic Britons with the soul objective of extracting maximum profit, presented in the form of counter argument to any notion of "The benign Empire"
Long review:
Though the evils of the "Raj" are tought in school, by the time history is no longer compulsory in syllabus its malice is oftern forgotten partially by the anglophilic tendencies if not for shoddy understanding and no incentive to learn in the first place.
The book as Tharoor stated in the preface "somewhat unusually, began as a speech." The very same one that sparked an interest in the history of British Raj for many of my age, for the first time.
Tharoor delves into detailed account through excerpts from conversation and speeches in house of common by brits themselves, exposing the horrors of raj which even made some conservatives amoung them uneasy.
The first couple of chapters cover the systematic deindustrialization of india through destroying the flourishing weaving industry in order to promote British exports to india pushing more indian to agriculture leading to over-dependence on land and its unsustainable exploitation. A similar story follows for the ship building industry and relatively inexpensive indian seamen and crew which were intentionally destroyed via compulsory white crew and British licensed vessels exclusive maritime routes.
The utter missmanagment by which the empire was run in india to such a degree that it become directly responsible for several disease outbreaks, Drainage of wealth at the end of which awaited economic stagnantion and most notouriously Famines!, this is evident by the endictment by many englishmen themselves; Lord Macaulay-"the misgovernment of the english was carried to such a point as seemed icompatible with the existence of society..." adding that whereas evil regimes could be overthrown by oppressed people, the english were not so easily dislodged. it goes on the show that famines and its casualties were directly a result to British policies by blocking aid and staying indolent in order to 'not interfere with the markets' wile making sure that the bread baskets of britain are full while using concepts like that of malthusian and victorian concepts of 'charity leads to idleness' the famines were not caused by shortage of food but rather economic policies that made it unaffordable for the poor, and when the british finally decided to act it was with work camps 'to allow the starving to work for food'.
The following chapters are dedicated to dislodge the intuition the the empire imparted unity, democracy and rule of law to india. the british zest to find social hierarchy in india parallel to those at home led to enforcement of such social order that was irrelevent hitherto by the interpreter class that placed itself at the helm of the deviced social order, democracy was imparted through terror and arbitrary incarceration, deliberate attempt to Divide Et Imperia were framed in policies and the equality before law did not apply to people of different colour.
The book further dealths with the aspects generally taken to be as 'for the benifit of the people' like Railways and English language showing how railways were only meant for the profits of britons as cost of constructing them (which were paid through taxes from india) were ten times higher than the contemporary world and in contrast to the world which charged more money for transporting goods in order to make travelling cheaper for people the opposite was true for india in order to make getting raw material out of india cheaper. Education in English or its use by masses was also not an intended effect but rather it was to create an intermediate class.
The book is an excellent eye opener of the nature of the colonial experience in india though the author explicitly states that he doesn't blame brits for all the issues ailing india till date while reading history one cannot help but trace them back into the days of the 'glorious' empire or its immediate aftermath.
Its an absolutely great book which keeps the readers hooked and the only reason i refrained from giving it a five star is some unnecessary bits of current politics that feels pushed and more of intended for petty political gains to an extent, afterall the author is a politician with affiliation to a particular party, but these bits are numbered and can be ignored by someone with a rational mind.
Long review:
Though the evils of the "Raj" are tought in school, by the time history is no longer compulsory in syllabus its malice is oftern forgotten partially by the anglophilic tendencies if not for shoddy understanding and no incentive to learn in the first place.
The book as Tharoor stated in the preface "somewhat unusually, began as a speech." The very same one that sparked an interest in the history of British Raj for many of my age, for the first time.
Tharoor delves into detailed account through excerpts from conversation and speeches in house of common by brits themselves, exposing the horrors of raj which even made some conservatives amoung them uneasy.
The first couple of chapters cover the systematic deindustrialization of india through destroying the flourishing weaving industry in order to promote British exports to india pushing more indian to agriculture leading to over-dependence on land and its unsustainable exploitation. A similar story follows for the ship building industry and relatively inexpensive indian seamen and crew which were intentionally destroyed via compulsory white crew and British licensed vessels exclusive maritime routes.
The utter missmanagment by which the empire was run in india to such a degree that it become directly responsible for several disease outbreaks, Drainage of wealth at the end of which awaited economic stagnantion and most notouriously Famines!, this is evident by the endictment by many englishmen themselves; Lord Macaulay-"the misgovernment of the english was carried to such a point as seemed icompatible with the existence of society..." adding that whereas evil regimes could be overthrown by oppressed people, the english were not so easily dislodged. it goes on the show that famines and its casualties were directly a result to British policies by blocking aid and staying indolent in order to 'not interfere with the markets' wile making sure that the bread baskets of britain are full while using concepts like that of malthusian and victorian concepts of 'charity leads to idleness' the famines were not caused by shortage of food but rather economic policies that made it unaffordable for the poor, and when the british finally decided to act it was with work camps 'to allow the starving to work for food'.
The following chapters are dedicated to dislodge the intuition the the empire imparted unity, democracy and rule of law to india. the british zest to find social hierarchy in india parallel to those at home led to enforcement of such social order that was irrelevent hitherto by the interpreter class that placed itself at the helm of the deviced social order, democracy was imparted through terror and arbitrary incarceration, deliberate attempt to Divide Et Imperia were framed in policies and the equality before law did not apply to people of different colour.
The book further dealths with the aspects generally taken to be as 'for the benifit of the people' like Railways and English language showing how railways were only meant for the profits of britons as cost of constructing them (which were paid through taxes from india) were ten times higher than the contemporary world and in contrast to the world which charged more money for transporting goods in order to make travelling cheaper for people the opposite was true for india in order to make getting raw material out of india cheaper. Education in English or its use by masses was also not an intended effect but rather it was to create an intermediate class.
The book is an excellent eye opener of the nature of the colonial experience in india though the author explicitly states that he doesn't blame brits for all the issues ailing india till date while reading history one cannot help but trace them back into the days of the 'glorious' empire or its immediate aftermath.
Its an absolutely great book which keeps the readers hooked and the only reason i refrained from giving it a five star is some unnecessary bits of current politics that feels pushed and more of intended for petty political gains to an extent, afterall the author is a politician with affiliation to a particular party, but these bits are numbered and can be ignored by someone with a rational mind.