Imperial Connections: India in the Indian Ocean Arena, 1860-1920"Imperial Connections challenges the Eurocentrism implicit in many accounts of modern European empires. Focusing on the British empire when it was at its zenith, Metcalf analyzes the pivotal role the Raj played in the running of the empire in regions as far flung from one another as, say, Egypt, Uganda, Natal, and the Malay peninsula. This innovative book is a real tour de force from a respected and versatile historian of India."—Dipesh Chakrabarty, author of Provincializing Europe: Postcolonial Thought and Historical Difference "As he has done regularly throughout his career, Thomas Metcalf has once again refreshed the study of British imperial history with a bold new perspective. Imperial Connections puts South Asians—soldiers, policemen and labourers—right at the heart of his study."—C.A. Bayly, Cambridge University, author of The Birth of the Modern World "This is a distinctly original study which re-centers colonial power in provocative ways. Metcalf asks a simple question—why were Indians so persistently to be found elsewhere in the British empire, and in such significant numbers? Then elegantly offers answers that force us to re-think the operations of imperial power in critical ways. Wide-ranging, elegantly written, and meticulously researched, Metcalf's is an important and a persuasive study."—Philippa Levine, author of Prostitution, Race and Politics: Policing Venereal Disease in the British Empire, and forthcoming, The British Empire, Sunrise to Sunset |
Contents
Governing Colonial Peoples | 16 |
Constructing Identities | 46 |
The Indian Army Overseas | 68 |
Recruiting Sikhs for Colonial Police and Military | 102 |
Recruiting | 136 |
India in East Africa | 165 |
Conclusion | 204 |
List of Abbreviations | 223 |
249 | |
Other editions - View all
Imperial Connections: India in the Indian Ocean Arena, 1860-1920 Thomas R. Metcalf Limited preview - 2007 |
Imperial Connections: India in the Indian Ocean Arena, 1860-1920 Thomas R. Metcalf Limited preview - 2007 |
Imperial Connections: India in the Indian Ocean Arena, 1860-1920 Thomas R. Metcalf Limited preview - 2008 |
Common terms and phrases
administrative Arab architecture argued Asia authorities Basra Bombay Britain's British East Africa British Empire Calcutta campaign Central Africa century Ceylon civil coast Colonial Office commissioner Company contingent coolies December Dept district emigration agent employed employment English European February force government of India governor Govt Gurkhas Hardinge Hence Hindu Hong Kong hundred ibid indentured labor Indian Army Indian codes Indian government Indian Immigration Indian laborers Indian Ocean Indian troops indirect rule insisted Iraq Johnston Kenya King's African Rifles Kuala Lumpur land London Lugard Madras Malay Malaya martial races Mauritius ment Mesopotamia migration military Mily Mitchell Mombasa mosque Muslims Natal native November Nyasaland O'Callaghan overseas Penal Code Perak police political princely Protector Punjab racial recruiting regiments Report resident rulers rupees Secret-War secure Selangor sepoy settlers Sikhs Singapore soldiers sought South Africa subagents sultan Swettenham territories tion took trade Uganda Railway wrote Zanzibar