RODERICK MATTHEWS

A well researched and well reasoned account of the long struggle for independence in 20th century British India, focused on two of the major proponents, Jinnah for the Muslims and Gandhi for the secular principle. The question most people would ask is whether Partition was avoidable, and why there was a surge in violence between communities during that period. This book throws abundant light on these questions, so each reader will probably be able to make their own judgments. For Indians, prone as we are to viewing Jinnah as evil and the rest of us as innocent victims, this is a good book to get a more reasoned and instructive picture of inter-community relations, aspirations and suspicions, and the process of cause-and-effect in public affairs, which will no doubt be useful for our current policies.… (plus d'informations)

A grand re-assessment of the British Raj in India, encompassing a wide range of periods and personalities. It gives a more realistic and convincing narrative of arguments to explain how the British managed to wrest control of such a massive region with so few of their own people and against a massive range of local adversaries. The author questions the usual theories of 'divide-and-rule', 'grand theft', the over-powering use of brutal force, and so on, that are used by ultra-nationalists to justify India's collapse and acquiescence. This is essential reading, if ever we Indians are to understand our own weaknesses and strengths, and to learn to appreciate the contribution of British ideas and examples of liberalism, rule of law, universal human rights, modern statecraft, devotion to duty, drawing the loyalty of the service classes, and so on. This account of the development of British paramountcy also draws attention to the enormous work of unification accomplished by he British, albeit at the expense of the glory and self-governance of India's 'princely' classes, a project which was taken to conclusion immediately after Independence by Sardar Patel and his collaborators.An honest self-appraisal by today's Indians will help in finding solutions to today's problems, but if we persist in deluding ourselves with conspiracy theories and blaming other forces (the British, or the Bureaucracy, or the Brahmins, or now the Chinese), we will only end up repeating the mistakes of the hoary past, this time as farce.… (plus d'informations)