British India By R W Frazer, 1916 Edition Book
Title – British India
Author – R W Frazer
Publisher – T Fisher Unwin, London
Year – 1916
The book offers a sweeping account of India’s transformation from an ancient centre of international commerce into the heart of the British Empire. Tracing the story from early trading connections to the establishment of British political supremacy. It explores the events, personalities and ambitions that profoundly reshaped the Indian subcontinent.
A significant portion of the narrative examines the East India Company’s rise, from a commercial enterprise to a formidable territorial power. The book describes India’s political landscape before British conquest, the competing ambitions of European powers, and the French attempts to establish their own influence in India.
Prominent historical figures, including Robert Clive and Warren Hastings, feature in this account of the expansion of British authority. Their roles in military campaigns, political negotiations, and administrative developments illustrate how commercial interests gradually evolved into imperial control. The narrative also examines the extension of British influence over Indian princely states, the conflicts that accompanied territorial expansion, and the annexations that altered the political map of the subcontinent.
This British India book further explores the upheaval of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and the subsequent transfer of power from the East India Company to the British Crown in 1858. This marked a decisive turning point in India’s colonial history, marking the beginning of a new phase of direct British administration.
Robert Watson Frazer was a British writer and scholar known for his work on Indian history, literature and culture. His writings explored various aspects of the Indian subcontinent, including its historical development, literary traditions and cultural heritage.
