Author: B D Basu
Publisher: LP Publications
Year: 2001
Language: English
Pages: 1011
ISBN/UPC (if available): 817536243X
Description
A monumental study in two volumes bound in one, this book attempts to reconstruct the history of British rule under the East India Company till the proclamation of Queen Victoria.
Lamenting that unfortunately, India does not possess a reliable history of her past , the author says that a good historian should consult authors who have spoken of events, the archives in which unpublished documents are found, newspapers, private letters, memoirs and even tradition. He had to gather probabilities from every source and then compare these probabilities, and weigh and discuss them before deciding. During the British period of her existence, India has not produced any one who would take the trouble of writing a true history of her past and present. To expect a true and reliable history of India from the natives of England is almost an impossibility.
The histories of India written by Englishmen are one-sided and not reliable. It could not have been otherwise. For, a true historian should be a philosopher, which the English are not. The historian must not be only a mere chronicler of facts and events and make his mind simply the mirror of reality, but he should possess the qualifications of a philosopher and scientist.
The author recognizes that the difficulties of the Indian historian of the British period are much increased by the fact that most of the political events and transactions of that period have been described by Englishmen. Therefore, possession of certain scientific imagination is absolutely necessary for the historian who aspires to write the History of India during the period of British supremacy, for he has to work with insufficient and defective materials. There are missing links in the chain of evidence. The historian of British India will have to face many missing links in the chain of evidence to explain historical events.
Famous philosopher Goethe wrote: " History must from time to time be re-written, not because many new facts have been discovered, but because new aspects come into view, because the participants in the progress of an age is led to standpoints from which the past can be regarded and judged in a novel manner."
Contents
Vol. 1
Preface I : Materials for the History of British India.
Preface II : Fallacies and Problems
Preface III : The Christian Power
Preface IV : Miscellaneous Observations
INTROCUTION
I : Struggle of different Christian Nations for Supremacy in India.
II : The discovery of the Sea-route to India by Europeans
III : The Portuguese in India
IV : The Danes in India
V : The Dutch in India
VI : The English in India
VII : The French in India
VIII : Why the English succeeded
IX : German enterprise in India
X : Flemish enterprise in Bengal
XI : Why the British Dominion took its rise from Bengal
CHAPTER I
Shiraj-ud-daulla-Commencement of hostilities
Capture of Calcutta
The Nawab's return to his capital
Proceedings of the English
Treaty of Alinagar
Capture of Chandernagar
Conspiracy against the Nawab
The Battle of Plassey
Death of Shiraj
CHAPTER II
Mir Jafar and his rule
Second Revolution in Bengal
CHAPTER III
Mir Kasim and his rule
Appendix
The War with Mir Kasim
The last days of Mir Kasim
CHAPTER IV
Restoration of Mir Jafar
The Court of Directors on the inland trade
Shah Shuja's war with the English
The last days of Mir Jafar
CHAPTER V
Events succeeding Mir Jafar's death
CHAPTER VI
The last days of Clive in India-Economic condition of Bengal
CHAPTER VII
The administration of Warren Hastings
CHAPTER VIII
The Rise of the Marathas and the First Maratha War
Rise of the Marathas
Cause of the First Maratha War
Prospects of the First Maratha War
CHAPTER IX
The Rise of the Oudh Principality
CHAPTER X
Hyder Ali
CHAPTER XI
The Rise of the Nizam's Dynasty
CHAPTER XII
Sir John Macpherson as officiating Governor-General of India
CHAPTER XIII
Lord Cornwallis' Administration
CHAPTER XIV
Sir John Shore's Administration
CHAPTER XV
The Marquess of Wellesley's Administration-his appointment as Governor-General of India
CHAPTER XVI
Lord Mornington's treatment of the Nizam
CHAPTER XVII
The Second War with Tipu
CHAPTER XVIII
Wellesley's treatment of the Nawab Vazir of Oudh
CHAPTER XIX
Marquess Wellesley's treatment of Nawab of Arcot
CHAPTER XX
Annexation of Tanjore - Appendix
CHAPTER XXI
Annexation of Surat
CHAPTER XXII
How the Marquess Wellesley ensnared the Peshwa
CHAPTER XXIII
The Treaty of Bassein and the return of the Peshawa to Puna
CHAPTER XXIV
Second Maratha War - its genesis and alleged cause
APPENDIX TO CHAPTER XXIV
Sir Philip Francis on the Maratha War
CHAPTER XXV
Compaign of intrigues and Conspiracies against Sindhia
CHAPTER XXVI
Commencement and Progress of the War-The Battle of Assaye
APPENDIX TO CHAPTER XXVI
The Field of Assaye
CHAPTER XXVII
Operations after the Battle of Assaye
CHAPTER XXVIII
The War in Guzerat
CHAPTER XXIX
The War in Orissa
CHAPTER XXX
Acquisition of Bundelkhand
CHAPTER XXXI
The War in the North
CHAPTER XXXII
The end of the War with the Confederates
CHAPTER XXXIII
The War with Holkar
CHAPTER XXXIV
The Progress of the War with Holkar and humiliation of the British
Vol. 2
CHAPTER XXXV
Situation of affairs and conspiracies and intrigues against Holkar
CHAPTER XXXVI
Holkar's movements
CHAPTER XXXVII
The siege of Bharatpur
CHAPTER XXXVIII
The Last days of the Marquess Wellesley in India
CHAPTER XXXIX
Lord Cornwallis' second Indian Administration
CHAPTER XL
Sir George Barlow's Administration
CHAPTER XLI
The Mutiny at Vellore
CHAPTER XLII
The first Lord Minto's Administration
CHAPTER XLIII
The Mutiny at Madras
CHAPTER XLIV
The Marquess of Hastings's administration
CHAPTER XLV
Reflections of the E.I.Co.'s Charter of 1813
CHAPTER XLVI
The Nepal War - I. Its Causes
CHAPTER XLVII
The Nepal War - II. The First Campaign
CHAPTER XLVIII
The Nepal War - The Second Campaign
APPENDIX TO CHAPTER XLVIII
CHAPTER XLIX
Treaty with Cutch
CHAPTER L
The Pindari War
CHAPTER LI
The Pindari War (Contd.)
CHAPTER LII
The War with the Jat Princes
CHAPTER LIII
The War with the Maratha Princess
CHAPTER LIV
The Last of the Peshwas
CHAPTER LV
Appa Saheb, the Raja of Nagpur
CHAPTER LVI
The War with Holkar
CHAPTER LVII
The end of the Third Maratha War
CHAPTER LVIII
The Marquess of Hastings and the Nawab of Oudh
CHAPTER LIX
Political aspect of the Marquess Hastings' Administration
CHAPTER LX
Recall of the Marquess of Hastings
CHAPTER LXI
The Administration of Lord Amherst
CHAPTER LXII
The First Burmese War
CHAPTER LXIII
The Barrackpore Massacre
CHAPTER LXIV
The termination of the Burmese War
CHAPTER LXV
The reduction of Bharatpur
CHAPTER LXVI
Amherst's visit to Delhi
CHAPTER LXVII
Lord William Bentinck's Administration
CHAPTER LXVIII
Reflections on the East India company's Charter of 1833.
I Peace
II Finance
III Material improvements
IV Condition of the people
V Law and Justice
VI Police
VII Education
VIII Public employment of the natives
IX Popular contentment
X Home Control
CHAPTER LXIX
Macaulary in India
CHAPTER LXX
Sir Charles Metcalfe's Administration
CHAPTER LXXI
Lord Auckland's Administration
CHAPTER LXXII
Lord Ellenborough's Administration
CHAPTER LXXIII
The Annexation of Sindh
CHAPTER LXXIV
Ellenborough's treatment of Sindhia
CHAPTER LXXV
Annexation of Kythal
CHAPTER LXXVI
Intrigues against the Panjab
CHAPTER LXXVII
Others Acts of Ellenborough
CHAPTER LXXVIII
Recall of Ellenborough
CHAPTER LXXIX
Lord Hardinge's Administration
CHAPTER LXXX
The Sikhs cross the Satlaj-The First Sikh War
CHAPTER LXXXI
The Sikh Raj loses its Independence
CHAPTER LXXXII
Harding's treatment of Raja Pratap Singh
CHAPTER LXXXIII
Lord Dalhousie's Administration
CHAPTER LXXXIV
Annexation of the Panjab
CHAPTER LXXXV
The Second Burmese War
APPENDIX TO CHAPTER LXXXIV
Cobden on annexation of Burma
CHAPTER LXXXVI
Dalhousie's acquisitions by fraud
CHAPTER LXXXVII
Annexation of Satara
CHAPTER LXXXVIII
Annexation of Nagpur
CHAPTER LXXXIX
Annexation of Jhansi
CHAPTER XC
Other Annexation by Lapse
CHAPTER XCI
Confiscation of Berar
CHAPTER XCII
Annexation of Oudh
CHAPTER XCIII
Reflections on the Company's Charter of 1853
CHAPTER XCIV
The Indian Mutiny of 1857
CHAPTER XCV
The Transfer of the Government of India from the Company to the Crown
APPENDIX TO CHAPTER XCV
Petition of the East Indian Company
CHAPTER XCVI
The Proclamation of Queen Victoria
APPENDIX TO CHAPTER XCVI
Proclamation by the Queen in Council to the Princes, Chiefs, and the People of India.
CHAPTER XCVII
The End of the Company's Rule
Bibliography
Periodicals, Journals, Etc.
Index