An Indian Affair: From Riches to Raj (Hardcover)

by Archie Baron (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A fresh perspective on Britain's relationship with India, this work suggest that far from being an imperialist objective, it seems the footholds on which india was established as a colony happened by accident rather than by design. This book examines India both before the Raj and throughout. It attempts to show that the British were actually more influenced by India and their traditions than the other way around.

About the Author
Archie Baron is an award-winning TV producer, his past credits include People's Century for BBC 1 and the Leviathan history series for BBC 2.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Sidgwick & Jackson (December 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0752261606
• ISBN-13: 978-0752261607
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,366,972 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In Love with An Indian Affair, January 26, 2004

By	Elle Ackers "Dulce_Quod_Utile" (Somewhere in time) - See all my reviews

AN INDIAN AFFAIR: FROM RICHES TO RAJ by Archie Baron was written as a companion book to a British television historical documentary series. It is therefore clear and beautifully written for the general public. It chronicles the interaction of Great Britain with India before 1858.
My ideas about the British in India were fuzzy at best and basically informed by tales and legends from the Victorian age. This book turns all my ideas upside down. It's wonderful.
It begins with an introduction and ends with an afterword and inbetween are 9 chapters. Chapter 1 entitled Rogue Traders and Spice Girls relates the beginnings of the British East India Company. Chapter 2, Accidental Empire gives information about Clive and the beginning of military power in India to protect trade. Chapter 3, Nabobs tells of the British who lived in India and got rich off her wealth. Chapter 4, An Indian Love Affair basically gives details about Warren Hastings, a governor-general of India and William Jones, an intellectual. Both these men loved India and thought the Indian culture was on par with most any cultures and maybe exceeded those of Great Britain. Chapter 5, Going Native, is about men like Hindoo Stuart who embraced India, not just intellectually but in all ways. These are the White Mughals. Chapter 6 First Fusion informs us about the profound influence Indian culture had back home in Great Britain and about some of the Indians who visited or came to live in Great Britain. Chapter 7, First Among Equals is about the schemes and military actions between France, the Indian rulers, and Great Britain. Chapter 8, The New Rome, chronicles the events that started the beginning of the British Government as the rulers of India. Chapter 9, Brown Englishman, tells how native Indian languages and learning were thrown over for English and western culture in India and even, for good and bad, embraced by Indians.
AN INDIAN AFFAIR has gorgeous color plates and pictures interspersed throughout the chapters. It is 254 pages in length with Sources and Further Reading, Acknowledgements, and an Index. It is altogether a satisfying, beautiful reading experience.