The British in India

A Social History of the Raj

By: David Gilmour

Narrated by: Michael Page

An immersive portrait of the lives of the British in India, from the seventeenth century to Independence

Who of the British went to India, and why? We know about Kipling and Forster, Orwell and Scott, but what of the youthful forestry official, the enterprising boxwallah, the fervid missionary? What motivated them to travel halfway around the globe, what lives did they lead when they got there, and what did they think about it all?

Full of spirited, illuminating anecdotes drawn from long-forgotten memoirs, correspondence, and government documents, The British in India weaves a rich tapestry of the everyday experiences of the Britons who found themselves in “the jewel in the crown” of the British Empire. David Gilmour captures the substance and texture of their work, home, and social lives, and illustrates how these transformed across the several centuries of British presence and rule in the subcontinent, from the East India Company’s first trading station in 1615 to the twilight of the Raj and Partition and Independence in 1947. He takes us through remote hill stations, bustling coastal ports, opulent palaces, regimented cantonments, and dense jungles, revealing the country as seen through British eyes, and wittily reveling in all the particular concerns and contradictions that were a consequence of that limited perspective. The British in India is a breathtaking accomplishment, a vivid and balanced history written with brio, elegance, and erudition.

©2018 David Gilmour (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

A Social history!

I just loved this book, loved and learned so much from the angle of social information it contained! The book helped me find commonality in my own 10 year expat experience in France and the Middle East!

A Stunning Social History!

David Gilmour's work on India is unparalleled: erudite, lucid and learned. Everyone should read this book!

Not your grandfather’s history of India

I was initially disappointed that this was not about the wars, politics and economics that led to the rise of British India. But the lives of those who ran its military, bureaucracy and social circles are so engrossing that I came to appreciate that this book offers a unique perspective. I can find the military and political history of India in a dozen other books. For anyone thinking of writing a novel rooted in British India this is required reading.

For India or British india buffs...

A really good general overview of the Raj. While i fully enjoyed this, I think it's for very particular readers.

Loved it

Not what I was expecting, as I missed the word "social" on first glance, but very glad for my mistake!