South Asians and the shaping of Britain, 1870–1950: A sourcebook - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0719085144 ISBN 13: 9780719085147

Publisher: Manchester University Press, 2013

Synopsis

This sourcebook offers alternative ways of conceiving the making of modern Britain, and intervenes in contemporary debates about Britain's heritage by illuminating the remarkable, yet still overlooked, impact that South Asians had on shaping the nature of British culture, politics and national identity during the period 1870-1950.

It is the first anthology of primary sources devoted to the interdisciplinary study of the history of the South Asian presence in Britain over the period, and students and scholars alike will appreciate its focus on four thematic chapters around South Asian contributions towards minority rights, war, culture and reception and representation in imperial Britain and its wide range of official and non-official archival sources. The material presented testifies not only to the enormous range and vitality of South Asian engagement and impact, but also provides new ways of understanding and interpreting these contributions by enabling readers to access the period for themselves, via these documents and images. Four introductory essays frame the sources in each chapter, and the book includes a preface by Elleke Boehmer and Susheila Nasta, a detailed introduction by Ruvani Ranasinha, and an afterword by pioneering historian Rozina Visram.

This sourcebook is designed for postgraduate courses primarily in British imperial and South Asian history, but also in art history, postcolonial studies, twentieth century literature and theory, South Asian studies, cultural studies and war studies.

About this title

About the Author:

Ruvani Ranasinha is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of English, King's College London

Rehana Ahmed is Senior Lecturer in English Studies at Teesside University

Sumita Mukherjee is an historian of South Asia and the British Empire

Florian Stadtler is a Research Fellow at the Open University

Review:

"So this is an important book; the many excerpts at the end of each chapter are very helpful and should set an example for future historical essays."

About this edition

• Publisher: Manchester University Press
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0719085144
• ISBN 13: 9780719085147
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320
• Editor: Ranasinha Ruvani