Ideologies of the Raj

Download or read book Ideologies of the Raj written by Thomas R. Metcalf and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1997-02-27 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ideologies of the Raj examines how the British sought to justify their rule over India. The author argues that two divergent strategies were devised to legitimate their authority: the one defined characteristics which the Indians shared with the British themselves, while the other emphasised qualities of enduring 'difference'. In the end, however, the differences predominated in the colonial view of India. Since the British constructed few explicit ideologies of empire, the author explores the workings of the Raj through the study of its underlying assumptions as revealed in policies and writings. Students of modern India and the British Empire will find Thomas Metcalf's book relevant and accessible.