Synopses & Reviews
C. A. Bayly, already established as one of the most eminent historians of the day, writes a penetrating account of the evolution of British intelligence gathering in India.
Review
"This...delivers far more than it initially promises. C.A. Bayly has produced a fascinating study that marries social, material, and intellectual history and that has implications far beyond this particular period in Indian history." margaret MacMillan, American Historical Review
Synopsis
Christopher Bayly, already established as one of the most eminent historians of his day, writes a penetrating account of the evolution of British intelligence in India. He describes how Indian spies were recruited to secure political and social information about their subjects, and how the colonial authorities interpreted, and, in some cases, misinterpreted the information supplied. This book will become a classic in the field of Indian and imperian history, and will be read by both scholar and student alike.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 377-400) and index.
Table of Contents
List of maps; Preface; Glossary; List of abbreviations; Introduction; 1. Prologue: surveillance and communication in early modern India; 2. Political intelligence and indigenous informants during the conquest of India, c. 1785-1815; 3. Misinformation and failure on the fringes of empire; 4. Between human intelligence and colonial knowledge; 5. The Indian ecumene: an indigenous public sphere; 6. Useful knowledge and godly society, c. 1830-50; 7. Colonial controversies: astronomers and physicians; 8. Colonial controversies: language and land; 9. The information order, the Rebellion of 1857-9 and pacification; 10. Epilogue: information, surveillance and the public arena after the Rebellion; Conclusion: 'knowing the country'; Bibliography; Index.