Indian Society and the Making of the British Empire (The New Cambridge History of India)

This book covers the historiography of how Indian developed in the British Empire up through the Mutiny in 1857. The rise of British dominance in the Punjab as well as the surrounding countryside is broken up by category and analyzed through the relevant literature at the time. This book does a wonderful job of assessing where the debate on empire was at the end of the 1980's and while it is important to update for current literature it is still a very thorough and useful account. It looks at how the rise of a farming class gave way to the caste system that was a development of the British Raj. This is mostly an account of the pre European and early days of the East India Company that developed into the British Empire following the Mutiny. Overall this is a very useful book on how the British Empire came into formation and the effect that Indian society had on forming the crown jewel of the empire.

Professor Bayly was one of the leading historians on India. Having taught at Cambridge for most of his life, he knew India and South Asia extensively.This book is a concise narrative on major aspects of recent Indian history. What sets it apart, however, is the focus on economic rather than pure historical and social history. This makes for an enthralling and engaging read, and understanding of the major aspects that led to Britain's rule over India.You will be sorely missed, Professor Bayly.