"The British Empire is under Providence the greatest instrument for good that the world has seen . . . . We found strife and we have created order."
--Lord Curzon
"The British state in India was . . . a totally amoral, rapacious imperialist machine bent on the subjugation of Indians for the purpose of profit."
--Shashi Tharoor
The Reading Response: Write a mini-essay of approximately 700+ words that describes and assesses the case that Shashi Tharoor makes against the British Empire in India. What are the main components of his argument and what are its strengths and weaknesses? Although your reading response should be written in the form of a short, integrated essay, some of the questions below may help you to organize your thinking. Although you should clearly demonstrate that you have engaged substantially with the book, you are also welcome to draw from any of the lectures and interviews below. Include at least three direct quotations in your reading response.
Some Questions To Consider
How does Tharoor contrast India at the moment of the British arrival with India at the time of the British departure? What, in his opinion, did the British fail to appreciate about Indian history?
What are some of the arguments commonly used to defend British rule in India? How does Tharoor challenge these?
"The question is not whether British imperialism was without blemish," writes the historian Niall Ferguson. "It was not. The question is whether there could have been a less bloody path to modernity?" How does Tharoor respond to Ferguson? How do you respond?
What, according to Tharoor, was the economic cost of empire to India? What was the nature of the economic exploitation? What does he say about manufacturing and industry, and how does he fold discussion of such themes as textiles, steel, railways , and revenue collection into his account?
Why does Tharoor reject the claim that the British Empire bequeathed to India its democratic institutions?
What does he say about the colonial educational and legal systems?
In what ways, according to Tharoor, did the British exacerbate caste divisions and Hindu-Muslim divisions in India?
How does he integrate Indian experiences during World War I and World II into his account?
What role does famine play in Tharoor's case against empire?
Possible Starting Place
"Dr. Shashi Tharoor MP -- Britain Does Owe Reparations," Oxford Union, July 14, 2015: This 15-minute presentation became both a viral video and the inspiration for Tharoor's writing of Inglorious Empire.
Video And Audio
"Full Book 'Inglorious Empire: An Era Of Darkness -- What Britain Did To India," May 17, 2019. A 10 hour, 36 minute reading of Tharoor's book.
"Shashi Tharoor On What The British Did To India," Sydney Opera House Talks And Ideas, October 30, 2017: A 52-minute interview with Tharoor from the Antidote Festival in which he discusses Inglorious Empire.
"Dr. Shashi Tharoor On 'Inglorious Empire: What The British Did To India,'" Dr. Shashi Tharoor Official, January 3, 2018: A 58-minute lecture by Tharoor before the Asia Society in Hong Kong.
"Dr. Shashi Tharoor -- Looking Back At The British Raj In India," University Of Edinburgh, November 15, 2017: A 70-minute lecture by Tharoor delivered from one of the hearts of the British Empire.
"What Impact Did British Colonialism Have On India?," World Today, September 1, 2017. (11 mins)
"Shashi Tharoor: How British Colonialism Destroyed India," Channel 4 News, March 8, 2017. (6 mins)
"The Theft Of The Raj: The British Empire In India," Jaipur Literature Festival, June 12, 2017 (68 mins): Shashi Tharoor and Roy Moxham in conversation with Mukulika Banerjee.
"Debate Of Britain's Colonial Legacy And The Impact On Society Today," Sky News, March 17, 2017.
Reviews.
"Shashi Tharoor Wins Sahitya Akademi Award 2019 For An Era Of Darkness," India Today (December 18, 2019).
P. D. Smith, "'Inglorious Empire' By Shashi Tharoor Review -- What The British Did To India," Guardian, February 23, 2018.
Christopher Kremmer, "'Inglorious Empire' Review: Shashi Tharoor's Indictment Of The British In India," Sydney Morning Herald, August 11, 2017.
"Inglorious Empire" -- Wikipedia: A brief summary from the on-line encyclopedia.