'The better class' of Indians: Social rank, Imperial identity, and South Asians in Britain 1858–1914 (Studies in Imperialism, 72) - Hardcover

Wainwright, A.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0719076668 ISBN 13: 9780719076664

Publisher: Manchester University Press, 2008

Synopsis

This is the first book-length study to focus primarily on the role of class in the encounter between South Asians and British institutions in the United Kingdom at the height of British imperialism.

In a departure from previous scholarship on the South Asian presence in Britain, ‘The better class’ of Indians emphasizes the importance of class as the register through which British polite society interpreted other social distinctions such as race, gender, and religion. Drawing mainly on unpublished material from the India Office Records, the National Archives, and private collections of charitable organizations, this book examines not only the attitudes of British officials towards South Asians in their midst, but also the actual application of these attitudes in decisions pertaining to them.

This fascinating book will be of particular interest to scholars and general readers of imperialism, immigration as well as British and Indian social history.

About this title

About the Author

A. Martin Wainwright is Associate Professor of History at The University of Akron

From the Back Cover

This is the first book-length study to focus primarily on the role of class in the encounter between South Asians and British institutions in the United Kingdom at the height of British imperialism.

In a departure from previous scholarship on the South Asian presence in Britain, ‘The better class’ of Indians emphasizes the importance of class as the register through which British polite society interpreted other social distinctions such as race, gender, and religion. Drawing mainly on unpublished material from the India Office Records, the National Archives, and private collections of charitable organizations, this book examines not only the attitudes of British officials towards South Asians in their midst, but also the actual application of these attitudes in decisions pertaining to them.

This fascinating book will be of particular interest to scholars and general readers of imperialism, immigration as well as British and Indian social history.

Edition details

• Publisher: Manchester University Press
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0719076668
• ISBN 13: 9780719076664
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288