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A Journey through the Kingdom of Oude, Volumes I & II
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.
- GenresHistoryIndian Literature
722 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 4, 2005
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About the author
William Henry Sleeman
71 books2 followersMajor-General Sir W. H. Sleeman
8 August 1788 – 10 February 1856
was a British soldier and administrator in British India
8 August 1788 – 10 February 1856
was a British soldier and administrator in British India
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 31, 2021
Just read "A Journey through the Kingdom of Oude" by W. H. Sleeman, written in the 1850s.
It provides an in depth, if somewhat imperialistic, window into the state of the North Indian society in the 19th Century, particularly the mode of operation of a native state (Avadh or Oudh).
What was striking was the fact that his portrayals of Indian society show uncanny resemblances to the state of the present-day social setup in the Indian Subcontinent. In particular it accurately depicts the function of the highest of the government officials, their dealings with the people, the level of corruption down to the humblest of people, their sufferings at the hands of dacoits, landlords, government agents and their various rituals and superstitions. The book also represents Sleeman's masterful grasp of geology.
All these seem to vindicate that Sleeman's portrayals could not have been inaccurate, or his work simply created as a tool for the annexation of the State of Oudh by the British East India Company, to which he was himself ardently opposed, as his work shows.
Overall, it was an informative and eye-opening, if somewhat tedious read :)
It provides an in depth, if somewhat imperialistic, window into the state of the North Indian society in the 19th Century, particularly the mode of operation of a native state (Avadh or Oudh).
What was striking was the fact that his portrayals of Indian society show uncanny resemblances to the state of the present-day social setup in the Indian Subcontinent. In particular it accurately depicts the function of the highest of the government officials, their dealings with the people, the level of corruption down to the humblest of people, their sufferings at the hands of dacoits, landlords, government agents and their various rituals and superstitions. The book also represents Sleeman's masterful grasp of geology.
All these seem to vindicate that Sleeman's portrayals could not have been inaccurate, or his work simply created as a tool for the annexation of the State of Oudh by the British East India Company, to which he was himself ardently opposed, as his work shows.
Overall, it was an informative and eye-opening, if somewhat tedious read :)
Displaying 1 of 1 review