Rebels Against The Raj

‘A narrative of startling originality ... As discussions of Britain’s colonial legacy become increasingly polarised, we are in ever more need of nuanced books like this one’ SAM DALRYMPLE, SPECTATOR ‘Fascinating and provocative’ LITERARY REVIEW

In late-eighteenth-century India, the glory of the Mughal emperors was fading, and ambitious newcomers seized power, changing the political map forever. Enter the legendary Maharajah Ranjit Singh, whose Sikh Empire stretched throughout northwestern India into Afghanistan and Tibet. Priya Atwal shines fresh light on this long-lost kingdom, looking beyond its founding father to restore the queens and princes to the story of this empire's spectacular rise and fall. She brings to life a self-made ruling family, inventively fusing Sikh, Mughal and European ideas of power, but eventually succumbing to gendered family politics, as the Sikh Empire fell to its great rival in the new India: the British. Royals and Rebels is a fascinating tale of family, royalty and the fluidity of power, set in a dramatic global era when new stars rose and upstart empires clashed.

Collection of documents and other writings relating to freedom struggle in Punjab against the British rule by Namdharis.

The first volume of a magisterial biography: the definitive portrait of the life and work of one of the most abidingly influential--and controversial--men in modern history. Here is a revelatory work of biography that takes us from Gandhi's birth in 1869 through his upbringing in Gujarat, his 2 years as a student in London, and his 2 decades as a lawyer and community organizer in South Africa. Ramachandra Guha has uncovered a myriad of previously untapped documents, including: private papers of Gandhi's contemporaries and co-workers; contemporary newspapers and court documents; the writings of Gandhi's children; secret files kept by British Empire functionaries. Using this wealth of material in a brilliantly nuanced narrative, Guha describes the social, political and personal worlds in which Gandhi began his journey to become the modern era's most important and influential political actor. And Guha makes clear that Gandhi's work in South Africa--far from being a mere prelude to his accomplishments in India--was profoundly influential on his evolution as a political thinker, social reformer and beloved leader.

An epic and revelatory biography of one of the most abidingly influential--and controversial--men in modern history. Opening with Gandhi's triumphant return to India in 1915 after decades abroad, and ending with his tragic assassination in 1949, Gandhi: The Years that Changed the World is a remarkable, moving portrait that provides a crucial re-evaluation of India's iconic leader for a new generation. Drawing on a wealth of newly uncovered materials unavailable to previous biographers, acclaimed historian and author Ramachandra Guha brings the past to life with extraordinary grace and clarity. Deploying his gifts as a storyteller and scholar, Guha presents Gandhi as both a fascinating human being--a man of fierce hope, eccentric personal beliefs, and sometimes dark and alarming contradictions--as well as a dynamic political force and global icon. Sharp, insightful, balanced, and impeccably researched, this free-standing sequel to Guha's magisterial biography Gandhi Before India is an indispensable resource for a contemporary understanding of Gandhi's ever-evolving legacy.

The Global Revolt against the Raj and the Hidden History of the Singapore Mutiny, 1907 - 1915 In 1907, on the fiftieth anniversary of the Indian Mutiny, a global revolt against the British Raj was taking shape. Known as the Ghadar or Mutiny Movement, this global network launched an uprising in 1915 that spilled over into the snug British settlement of Singapore. Exactly 27 years before its fall to the Japanese in World War II, Singapore thus faced a mutiny by its garrison of British Indian Army soldiers or sepoys. Stoked by Indian rebels based in California, activists on a migrant voyage to Canada to contest its race laws, a German sea raider, and renegades preaching holy war, the 1915 Singapore sepoy mutiny fused several plots against imperial power in the region. This book reveals the hidden history of the mutiny and exposes the forces that converged on the small island enroute to the revolt against the British Empire in India. The story of the men and women behind the world-wide rebellion and the Singapore mutiny is brought to life in this thrilling non-fiction narrative that spotlights the legacy of the forgotten uprisings.

They Say In Jhansi That The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Their Town Was Lakshmi Bai&' The 400-Year-Old Town Of Jhansi Still Feels That It Owes Its Fame To A Young Rani Who Ruled For Four-And-A-Half Years. In The Uprising Of 1857 Which Came To Be Known As The First War Of Indian Independence', She Was A Singular Figure In A Gallery Of Heroes. Rani Lakshmi Bai Also Became The Protagonist In A Different Kind Of Story Fiction By British Writers To Dramatize The Horrific Experience Of The Mutiny In Which An Oriental Queen, Full Of Passion, Added A Thrilling Dimension. But Despite An Incredible Career, It Took Eighty Years For Indians To Write A Comprehensive Description Of Rani Lakshmi Bai'S Life. It Was Not Because She Was Forgotten But That People Who Lived In Her Time Did Not Leave Any Writing Behind And The Few Who Knew Her Were Too Afraid Of Reprisals To Profess Links With Her. How Did A Young Marathi Woman Come To Wield So Much Influence In A Strongly Rajput-Dominated Region In The Grip Of An Alien Power? The Life Of The Warrior Queen Has Inspired Historians, Writers And, More Recently, Film-Makers. But For The First Time, In Biographer Tapti Roy'S Vivid Rendition, Lakshmi Bai Is Located Within The Wider Context Of Her Time And Space.

"Described by his contemporaries as a cross between Albert Schweitzer and Paul Gauguin, Elwin was a man of contradictions, at times taking on the role of evangelist, social worker, political activist, poet, government worker, and more. Intensely political, the Oxford-trained scholar tirelessly defended the rights of the indigenous and despite the deep religious influences of St.