Reimagining Empire in India

This book examines debates surrounding East India Company colonialism in the 1830s and 1840s, focusing on George Thompson's activism and the interactions between British philanthropists and Indian elites leading up to the 1857 uprising.

"Reimagining Empire in India" delves into the debates surrounding East India Company colonialism during the late 1830s and 1840s, focusing on discussions that unfolded in Britain, Calcutta, and the Mughal court in Delhi. Following the Emancipation Act of 1833, British abolitionists and colonial philanthropists began to scrutinize conditions within the empire. Their efforts sometimes involved collaboration with colonized groups to confront the injustices of British rule, while at other times, they imposed their own visions of what the imperial relationship should entail.

The narrative centers on George Thompson, an anti-slavery lecturer and East India reform advocate, whose experiences provide a lens through which to examine the challenges to Company rule prior to the Indian Uprising of 1857. As a prominent figure in the campaign for East India reform and a spokesperson for the Aborigines Protection Society, Thompson’s activism was influential, yet he was not without flaws. His role as a paid agent raised questions about his motivations, highlighting the complexities of early anti-colonial sentiments and the challenges of cross-cultural collaboration in colonial contexts.

Through Thompson's story, the book contextualizes the evolving ideas about Britain’s humanitarian obligations to its subjects in India. It explores the intersections of commercial interests, imperial labor dynamics, and the burgeoning forms of Indian anti-colonialism and civic activism. By reassessing these historical debates, "Reimagining Empire in India" sheds light on the intricate relationships between British and Indian actors during a pivotal period in colonial history.