The Highway of Hindostan: The East Indian Railway 1841–1871

by Prashant Kumar Mishra

This book is the most comprehensive and authentic history of the East Indian Railway’s formative years, spanning 1841 to 1871, ever published, based entirely on primary sources. It traces the railway’s origins from imperial ambition to national transformation, revealing how steel rails became instruments of conquest, commerce, and change. From engineering feats and colonial politics to the lives of forgotten labourers and visionary reformers, it captures the full sweep of a century that reshaped India’s geography, economy, and destiny. More than a story of trains, it is a story of empire, resistance, and the iron road that bound a continent together.

384 pages, Paperback

Published January 17, 2026