What do you think?
Rate this book
The Case for India
An insightful examination of the condition of India under British occupation.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1930
62 people are currently reading
2547 people want to read
About the author
Will Durant
792 books3,050 followersWilliam James Durant was a prolific American writer, historian, and philosopher. He is best known for the 11-volume The Story of Civilization, written in collaboration with his wife Ariel and published between 1935 and 1975. He was earlier noted for his book, The Story of Philosophy, written in 1926, which was considered "a groundbreaking work that helped to popularize philosophy."
They were awarded the Pulitzer Prize for literature in 1967 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977.
They were awarded the Pulitzer Prize for literature in 1967 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
October 21, 2021
One of the most comprehensive and an unbiased account of British atrocity rule from the eyes of an American historian. The author Will Durant presents before us unflinching, unwavering and powerful account of the atrocities committed by British rule on Indian economy, politics and culture. In 1930, he published The Case for India while he was on a visit to India as part of collecting data for The Story of Civilization. He was so taken aback by the devastating poverty and starvation he saw and he took time off from his stated goal and instead concentrated on his polemic fiercely advocating Indian independence.
The author has split the task of narrating Indian story into 4 sections.The first introductory chapter is laden with accurate proofs and statistics on how British intelligently poverished the Indian subcontinent. A later chapter follows his views and positive opinions about M.K.Gandhi. Third chapter passionately pictures the revolutions of 1921 and 1930. While the last section of the book talks about arguments of British makes to stand his case.
The fact that many Indian institutions were destroyed by the British and how they introduced their education system is well presented. The case of the famines that the British caused by diverting grain from India is well written. Industrial Revolution was built on Indian money, while destroying India's economy is again well explained. The Hindu-Muslim divide was created by the British, and India was messily carved into two nations (this happened 17 years after the book was written). The author has written from both perspective India and british.
I recently read somewhere that Britain ruled India for about 200 years, a period that was marred with extreme poverty and famine. India's wealth depleted in these two centuries. The scars of colonization remain despite Britain leaving India over 70 years ago. Between 1765 and 1938, the drain amounted to 9.2 trillion pounds($45 trillion).
Read the book once then you will understand why this book was banned by the british parliament. The Case For India has now provided India and the world a means to know the true Indian history. This kind of books should be added in schools and colleges. Highly recommended.
The author has split the task of narrating Indian story into 4 sections.The first introductory chapter is laden with accurate proofs and statistics on how British intelligently poverished the Indian subcontinent. A later chapter follows his views and positive opinions about M.K.Gandhi. Third chapter passionately pictures the revolutions of 1921 and 1930. While the last section of the book talks about arguments of British makes to stand his case.
The fact that many Indian institutions were destroyed by the British and how they introduced their education system is well presented. The case of the famines that the British caused by diverting grain from India is well written. Industrial Revolution was built on Indian money, while destroying India's economy is again well explained. The Hindu-Muslim divide was created by the British, and India was messily carved into two nations (this happened 17 years after the book was written). The author has written from both perspective India and british.
I recently read somewhere that Britain ruled India for about 200 years, a period that was marred with extreme poverty and famine. India's wealth depleted in these two centuries. The scars of colonization remain despite Britain leaving India over 70 years ago. Between 1765 and 1938, the drain amounted to 9.2 trillion pounds($45 trillion).
Read the book once then you will understand why this book was banned by the british parliament. The Case For India has now provided India and the world a means to know the true Indian history. This kind of books should be added in schools and colleges. Highly recommended.
Want to read
August 15, 2017Shashi Tharoor mentioning this raised my regard for Durant immediately:
In 1930, a young American historian and philosopher, Will Durant, stepped onto the shores of India for the first time. He had embarked on a journey around the world to write what became the magnificent eleven-volume The Story of Civilization. But he was, in his own words, so ‘filled with astonishment and indignation’ at what he saw and read of Britain’s ‘conscious and deliberate bleeding of India’ that he set aside his research into the past to write a passionate denunciation of this ‘greatest crime in all history’. His short book, The Case for India, remains a classic, a profoundly empathetic work of compassion and outrage that tore apart the self-serving justifications of the British for their long and shameless record of rapacity in India.
As Durant wrote:
The British conquest of India was the invasion and destruction of a high civilization by a trading company [the British East India Company] utterly without scruple or principle, careless of art and greedy of gain, over-running with fire and sword a country temporarily disordered and helpless, bribing and murdering, annexing and stealing, and beginning that career of illegal and ‘legal’ plunder which has now [1930] gone on ruthlessly for one hundred and seventy-three years.
In 1930, a young American historian and philosopher, Will Durant, stepped onto the shores of India for the first time. He had embarked on a journey around the world to write what became the magnificent eleven-volume The Story of Civilization. But he was, in his own words, so ‘filled with astonishment and indignation’ at what he saw and read of Britain’s ‘conscious and deliberate bleeding of India’ that he set aside his research into the past to write a passionate denunciation of this ‘greatest crime in all history’. His short book, The Case for India, remains a classic, a profoundly empathetic work of compassion and outrage that tore apart the self-serving justifications of the British for their long and shameless record of rapacity in India.
As Durant wrote:
The British conquest of India was the invasion and destruction of a high civilization by a trading company [the British East India Company] utterly without scruple or principle, careless of art and greedy of gain, over-running with fire and sword a country temporarily disordered and helpless, bribing and murdering, annexing and stealing, and beginning that career of illegal and ‘legal’ plunder which has now [1930] gone on ruthlessly for one hundred and seventy-three years.
December 25, 2012
On reading this, I just realized as an Indian how ignorant I and all my generation has been. No history book prescribed by our school system covered the depth of plunder of India, distinguishing the plunder by the British and the plunder by previous conquerors. The reading itself is easy. The major point here is the author does not try to make his own calculations but tries to repeat what some conscious British have already published or printed.
July 6, 2013
It is a wonderfully written argument by an American author who had seen India first hand and studied deeply about the country. The book provides a perspective on the state of India around 1930 (when the book was first published) and the prognosis suffered due to an extended subjection by foreign rule. The author has given some very interesting and informative information regarding the extent of brutality that was practiced by the British. I believe this book should be a part of curriculum in all schools at the collegiate level. I have not read a better document that is more comprehensive, cogent, objective argument in favour of India. I salute the courage of this author and his noble spirit to not just make a case, but publish a book that supports a country that was yet to be born and was almost 2 decades away from gaining Independence.
March 2, 2019
It takes a rare spirit who can stand by his / her own conscience in the face of prevailing norms and beliefs to the contrary. Will Durant is an example of just such a human being. Having originally come to India in connection with a very different study relating to the History of Civilizations, he ended up being so influenced by what he saw that he devoted his time to authoring this book.
He has painstakingly categorized and catalogued the effects of the British rule under relevant headings, such as Economic Destruction, Social Destruction, and so on. The brevity of each chapter belies the wealth of information packed into each passage. Durant manages to paint the big picture, tracing the cycle of exploitation in a simple manner, while citing other historians’ writings to bolster his case. He also exposes the racist underpinnings and ulterior motives behind writings such as ‘Mother India’ by Katherine Mayo, by providing context for the cherry-picked ‘facts’ of her narrative.
Durant has expended a lot of effort in quantifying each injustice perpetrated by the British on the Indian people. The result of this is that a reader is able to comprehend in a much more visual manner, the extent of brutality inflicted upon India by the British Raj.
I know that a reasonable portion of my school history curriculum did cover the British Raj in India and the atrocities that came with it. Although I was familiar with the overall gist of things, and how the British rule drained India of her wealth, I couldn’t quite grasp the magnitude of these atrocities. As a child, it’s not the simplest thing to make sense of tariffs, and how skewed tariffs can cripple an economy. The exorbitant salaries and pensions paid out to British officers (serving and retired respectively), which further bled the country were not even mentioned, although these constituted a significant and steady drain on the country.
The only complaint I have about this book is the undercurrent of the “North India is superior to the Southern part” assumption. This is evidenced by passing remarks, “the more important half of India”, “still higher culture” of North India, even while acknowledging that Angkor Wat was a Hindu architectural marvel exported from India, and that India was the world’s leader in ship-building - both these points obviously referring to South India, considering that peninsular India is the portion with the naval expertise responsible for expansion of kingdoms via sea.
Even people with the best of intentions do have their own unacknowledged biases. And to that extent is understandable that people are a product of their times. The (highly divisive and controversial) Aryan invasion theory no doubt caused a subconscious bias in the minds of many Western historians, leading them to believe in the innate ‘superiority’ of North India. One tends to overlook these relatively minor details though, given that the author spoke from a very genuine place, and with the intent of furthering the truth in the face of misinformation and blatant whitewashing of facts.
The presentation of Gandhi as a public figure is romanticized to a certain degree. Durant tries to justify his every action, by attributing noble intent behind even some of Gandhi’s foolish or deliberately ignorant stances. This though, is understandable in that he was the most “public” face of the Indian freedom struggle. There were many more freedom fighters in India, some of whom were likely more logical and less foolishly naïve than Gandhi.
However, Gandhi probably came across as the most accessible or relatable to the Western figures, who ended up documenting much of the history of the times. His willingness to repeatedly negotiate with the British (even when they had proved themselves untrustworthy of negotiations), his articulate English - a result of his British education, and the fact that his 'non-violent' resistance was likely to have resonated with dearly held Western Christian beliefs – all probably contributed to making him the most relatable among the public personalities in India at the time.
The latter part of the book also summarizes the case that the British officers made for their continued rule over India. Durant presents this argument in an uninterrupted passage, and follows it up with a point-by-point refutation of several claims and justifications.
The one thing that stands out very clearly is the British officers’ “rationale” for not allowing self-rule of India, is their blatant doublethink, fuelled by extreme cognitive dissonance and hypocrisy. Durant has done an admirable job exposing this hypocrisy.
The most pernicious and lasting effect of the British rule though, has been their stated policy of “Divide and Rule” – the effects of which we are still seeing in today’s post-partition India. As I’ve been making my way through this book, tensions in the subcontinent have been escalating once again. I will refrain from getting into the political commentary of the present day conflicts facing India, since that is not the subject of my review (though I naturally do have plenty of thoughts on it).
But it is with a sense of bitter irony that I acknowledge yet again how the British Raj was responsible for sowing the seeds of discord deep and wide throughout India for their own selfish and power-hungry motives, the effects of which the Indian subcontinent is still reeling from today.
He has painstakingly categorized and catalogued the effects of the British rule under relevant headings, such as Economic Destruction, Social Destruction, and so on. The brevity of each chapter belies the wealth of information packed into each passage. Durant manages to paint the big picture, tracing the cycle of exploitation in a simple manner, while citing other historians’ writings to bolster his case. He also exposes the racist underpinnings and ulterior motives behind writings such as ‘Mother India’ by Katherine Mayo, by providing context for the cherry-picked ‘facts’ of her narrative.
Durant has expended a lot of effort in quantifying each injustice perpetrated by the British on the Indian people. The result of this is that a reader is able to comprehend in a much more visual manner, the extent of brutality inflicted upon India by the British Raj.
I know that a reasonable portion of my school history curriculum did cover the British Raj in India and the atrocities that came with it. Although I was familiar with the overall gist of things, and how the British rule drained India of her wealth, I couldn’t quite grasp the magnitude of these atrocities. As a child, it’s not the simplest thing to make sense of tariffs, and how skewed tariffs can cripple an economy. The exorbitant salaries and pensions paid out to British officers (serving and retired respectively), which further bled the country were not even mentioned, although these constituted a significant and steady drain on the country.
The only complaint I have about this book is the undercurrent of the “North India is superior to the Southern part” assumption. This is evidenced by passing remarks, “the more important half of India”, “still higher culture” of North India, even while acknowledging that Angkor Wat was a Hindu architectural marvel exported from India, and that India was the world’s leader in ship-building - both these points obviously referring to South India, considering that peninsular India is the portion with the naval expertise responsible for expansion of kingdoms via sea.
Even people with the best of intentions do have their own unacknowledged biases. And to that extent is understandable that people are a product of their times. The (highly divisive and controversial) Aryan invasion theory no doubt caused a subconscious bias in the minds of many Western historians, leading them to believe in the innate ‘superiority’ of North India. One tends to overlook these relatively minor details though, given that the author spoke from a very genuine place, and with the intent of furthering the truth in the face of misinformation and blatant whitewashing of facts.
The presentation of Gandhi as a public figure is romanticized to a certain degree. Durant tries to justify his every action, by attributing noble intent behind even some of Gandhi’s foolish or deliberately ignorant stances. This though, is understandable in that he was the most “public” face of the Indian freedom struggle. There were many more freedom fighters in India, some of whom were likely more logical and less foolishly naïve than Gandhi.
However, Gandhi probably came across as the most accessible or relatable to the Western figures, who ended up documenting much of the history of the times. His willingness to repeatedly negotiate with the British (even when they had proved themselves untrustworthy of negotiations), his articulate English - a result of his British education, and the fact that his 'non-violent' resistance was likely to have resonated with dearly held Western Christian beliefs – all probably contributed to making him the most relatable among the public personalities in India at the time.
The latter part of the book also summarizes the case that the British officers made for their continued rule over India. Durant presents this argument in an uninterrupted passage, and follows it up with a point-by-point refutation of several claims and justifications.
The one thing that stands out very clearly is the British officers’ “rationale” for not allowing self-rule of India, is their blatant doublethink, fuelled by extreme cognitive dissonance and hypocrisy. Durant has done an admirable job exposing this hypocrisy.
The most pernicious and lasting effect of the British rule though, has been their stated policy of “Divide and Rule” – the effects of which we are still seeing in today’s post-partition India. As I’ve been making my way through this book, tensions in the subcontinent have been escalating once again. I will refrain from getting into the political commentary of the present day conflicts facing India, since that is not the subject of my review (though I naturally do have plenty of thoughts on it).
But it is with a sense of bitter irony that I acknowledge yet again how the British Raj was responsible for sowing the seeds of discord deep and wide throughout India for their own selfish and power-hungry motives, the effects of which the Indian subcontinent is still reeling from today.
December 14, 2016
Will Durant wrote this book in 1930. It was three years after Katherine Mayo’s book, Mother India, was published. Mother India is not a balanced book. It sees only negative aspect of India and the Hindus. Durant calls it the unfairest book ever written.
Mr. Durant explains in his book that England has bled India year after year to the point of death. Before 1757 (when Britain started occupying India), there were no major famines in India. Since then, during almost 200 years of British rule, millions of people died every year from famine. Thousands of miles of railways could have helped in managing famines by transporting food, but it never happened. The railways were built only for British army and British trade. It was well-known that there was no shortage of food, but it was not distributed properly.
Britain waged 111 wars in India during the nineteenth century. These wars were waged to steal lands from the princely states. Riots between Hindus and Muslims were rare in Native States but were common in the British Provinces. British increased the rift between Hindus and Muslims.
Mr. Durant argues that the English are the best gentlemen on earth; the British are the worst of all imperialists. Not one Englishman was convicted of murder in India in 150 years in spite of many instances where they committed murders of their servants and other people of India. Court verdicts always favored Englishmen against Indians.
They argued that India needed British protection otherwise France, Spain or Portugal would attack and occupy India. Their protection basically meant keeping other poachers out of the field, allowing only them to rob India.
England argued that her industrial revolution was dependent on their rule over India. A sudden severance of this arrangement will be politically dangerous for India and economically ruinous for England. A German professor explained in 1911 that, “…If the Asiatics were to succeed in destroying English mastery there, then the position of the whole white race throughout the world would be fatally undermined.” India had become an economic necessity to British merchants. To justify India’s subjugation for that reason was like worrying about the inconvenience experienced by the robber at the cost of the victim’s rights. It is ironic that Kipling claimed the world is a white man’s burden! Arrogance should have limits.
Looking at the British treatment of India and her people, it is natural to have animosity toward them and a strong desire to avenge the injustices caused by them. Luckily, India and the Indian people have risen above it. They have not wasted time on insisting that Britain must pay for her sins against India. If India had gone that road, she would be like what Pakistan is today. The very existence of Pakistan depends on her hatred for India. In the last 70 years, India did not take the road but Pakistan did. The world can see the difference in the way these two countries function.
During British occupation it was frequently argued that Indians are not capable of ruling themselves. Last 70 years of independent India have proved them wrong.
Frequently, Britain is given credit for unifying India. History shows it is not true. Since the time of Buddha and even before him, Indian subcontinent was culturally and politically a single unit. The epics, Ramayana and Mahabharat, (even if they are considered fiction) show clearly that the characters in these epics roam freely throughout the land, marry women of different regions, and followed same religion. Authors would not have described the characters this way if India was not treated as one unit in those days.
Lastly, Indians were considered incompetent by Britain and other western countries. If the word competence is defined by what western countries are capable of then I am glad that India and Indians are incompetent. In its ten thousand years of history, India has never behaved like this with any nation. India has respected other nations and other religions, always. West has never been able to show that strength.
Mr. Durant explains in his book that England has bled India year after year to the point of death. Before 1757 (when Britain started occupying India), there were no major famines in India. Since then, during almost 200 years of British rule, millions of people died every year from famine. Thousands of miles of railways could have helped in managing famines by transporting food, but it never happened. The railways were built only for British army and British trade. It was well-known that there was no shortage of food, but it was not distributed properly.
Britain waged 111 wars in India during the nineteenth century. These wars were waged to steal lands from the princely states. Riots between Hindus and Muslims were rare in Native States but were common in the British Provinces. British increased the rift between Hindus and Muslims.
Mr. Durant argues that the English are the best gentlemen on earth; the British are the worst of all imperialists. Not one Englishman was convicted of murder in India in 150 years in spite of many instances where they committed murders of their servants and other people of India. Court verdicts always favored Englishmen against Indians.
They argued that India needed British protection otherwise France, Spain or Portugal would attack and occupy India. Their protection basically meant keeping other poachers out of the field, allowing only them to rob India.
England argued that her industrial revolution was dependent on their rule over India. A sudden severance of this arrangement will be politically dangerous for India and economically ruinous for England. A German professor explained in 1911 that, “…If the Asiatics were to succeed in destroying English mastery there, then the position of the whole white race throughout the world would be fatally undermined.” India had become an economic necessity to British merchants. To justify India’s subjugation for that reason was like worrying about the inconvenience experienced by the robber at the cost of the victim’s rights. It is ironic that Kipling claimed the world is a white man’s burden! Arrogance should have limits.
Looking at the British treatment of India and her people, it is natural to have animosity toward them and a strong desire to avenge the injustices caused by them. Luckily, India and the Indian people have risen above it. They have not wasted time on insisting that Britain must pay for her sins against India. If India had gone that road, she would be like what Pakistan is today. The very existence of Pakistan depends on her hatred for India. In the last 70 years, India did not take the road but Pakistan did. The world can see the difference in the way these two countries function.
During British occupation it was frequently argued that Indians are not capable of ruling themselves. Last 70 years of independent India have proved them wrong.
Frequently, Britain is given credit for unifying India. History shows it is not true. Since the time of Buddha and even before him, Indian subcontinent was culturally and politically a single unit. The epics, Ramayana and Mahabharat, (even if they are considered fiction) show clearly that the characters in these epics roam freely throughout the land, marry women of different regions, and followed same religion. Authors would not have described the characters this way if India was not treated as one unit in those days.
Lastly, Indians were considered incompetent by Britain and other western countries. If the word competence is defined by what western countries are capable of then I am glad that India and Indians are incompetent. In its ten thousand years of history, India has never behaved like this with any nation. India has respected other nations and other religions, always. West has never been able to show that strength.
July 3, 2015
Every now and then, one comes across some people who try to say that the British rule was very helpful to India. This book dispels this view. Written in 1930, it presents a very good view of the British rule in India. The chapter dealing with Gandhi is good as one rarely comes across a realistic depiction of the failings of 'The Mahatma' in Indian books.
November 2, 2014
An excellent book whose narration was the most beautiful I have ever witnessed. Will Durant is undoubtedly epitome in telling a case with a fresh perspective and does not fear to do so. In this book he presented what changes India went through during British rule. He has put forward from a neutral mindset, that what effects were witnessed during that rule.
I have never read a conclusion so beautifully written and thought provoking. I would suggest at least every Indian to read the book to know from both points of view what happened to India and why?
What I liked the most in the book is it does not decide whether the British rule in India was good or bad. It presents the events as it happened. It is upto the reader to decide or choose not to decide the same.
Looking forward to read other books by Will Durant.
I have never read a conclusion so beautifully written and thought provoking. I would suggest at least every Indian to read the book to know from both points of view what happened to India and why?
What I liked the most in the book is it does not decide whether the British rule in India was good or bad. It presents the events as it happened. It is upto the reader to decide or choose not to decide the same.
Looking forward to read other books by Will Durant.
January 2, 2021
It is excellent that this important yet forgotten book has been brought back into print. But the quality of editing is extremely poor. I cannot escape the sense of anger against the British Empire that this book has given birth to with in me. To date, I had looked upon the freedom movement through the haze of romanticism, Will Durant has put the extent of British terrorism and greed into perspective. No Indian must forget the injustices he has suffered at the hands of the Raj and must forever be grateful to the men and women who shed their cynicism and gave us our freedom.
April 9, 2015
All Indian's should read this book to know truth about:
- How was India before British rule.
- How Britisher's treated Indians.
- How Britisher's looted Indians and killed Indian's body & mind.
- And many more details!
- How was India before British rule.
- How Britisher's treated Indians.
- How Britisher's looted Indians and killed Indian's body & mind.
- And many more details!
May 22, 2019
Everyone should read this book. It was written before Independence of India. I so wish that Will Durant could have written many books on India. Not biased though. You can realised how damaged Britisher have done to us.
February 10, 2013
an unbiased view of how India became impoverished under the british
July 9, 2013
I concede I am biased towards Will Durant; but that ought not to take away from the inscient and impavid candour of the Truth which lays bare naked the very edifice of Empire. The opaque and pernicious digressions of Empire's utility are brought to the Court of Reason and, dare I say, morality. For though the Peoples have discredited Empire, albeit historians of certain shades surreptitiously strive to concoct digestible raison d'êtres, our Generation should do well to read this 'Case'. Mr Durant spoke the Truth not in retrospective convenience; for then he was conveniently dead. He spoke the Truth at the height of the British Empire. They banned his book throughout the Empire, which comprehended a quarter of the Globe. They pursued the American publishers, and so to-day we have but a few copies left.
Though, for I quote Churchill, 'a lie gets half-way around the world before the Truth has time to put its pants on', I pray you chance with the clumsy hare. [Ergo, read it.]
Though, for I quote Churchill, 'a lie gets half-way around the world before the Truth has time to put its pants on', I pray you chance with the clumsy hare. [Ergo, read it.]
September 10, 2019
Well it was very hard to not break down and still digest the figures put down in this book !
To start with, the book is actually written in the form of an argument as if put forward for India in a court. It doesn’t mention any events which are otherwise unknown to us.
Partition of Bengal, Jalliwanwala Bagh massacre, the treatment of Indians by British etc. are all too well known to everyone of us. But events and their description do not win a case and here in comes this book. It doesn’t describe but mentions in money the drainage which was done to India. It argues and pulls off the mask from Britain on each of their points they made defending their position in India and maligning India as a deprived and unorganized state.
It is well researched and documented in sections with numbers and figures hard to beat and contradict. It’s not an essay sympathizing with us without any evidence. It can actually be used to argue our case !
To start with, the book is actually written in the form of an argument as if put forward for India in a court. It doesn’t mention any events which are otherwise unknown to us.
Partition of Bengal, Jalliwanwala Bagh massacre, the treatment of Indians by British etc. are all too well known to everyone of us. But events and their description do not win a case and here in comes this book. It doesn’t describe but mentions in money the drainage which was done to India. It argues and pulls off the mask from Britain on each of their points they made defending their position in India and maligning India as a deprived and unorganized state.
It is well researched and documented in sections with numbers and figures hard to beat and contradict. It’s not an essay sympathizing with us without any evidence. It can actually be used to argue our case !
September 2, 2022
I bought this book after reading Shashi Tharoor's "Inglorious Empire". Shashi Tharoor might have been biased against the British, he himself says “India is my country, and in that sense my outrage is personal.”
So here we have an unbiased view by an American who had no relationship at all with India. This was written much before the Indian independence, so it is even more horrifying because most of them were current events then. He doesn't pull out statistics out of thin air, he provides citations for every data presented.
The brutality against the non-violent satyagrahis was blood curdling. I can only say hats off to these brave people who never showed anger and were completely restrained even when under torture.
It is appalling that the British looted India off her riches, then have the audacity to claim responsibility for empowering/ civilizing India.
One quote sums it all - ...to this ruining of the land with taxation, this ruining of industry with tariffs, and this ruining of commerce with foreign control, add the drainage of millions of dollars from India year after year- and the attempt to explain India's poverty as the result of her superstitions becomes a dastardly deception practiced upon a world too busy to be well informed.
So here we have an unbiased view by an American who had no relationship at all with India. This was written much before the Indian independence, so it is even more horrifying because most of them were current events then. He doesn't pull out statistics out of thin air, he provides citations for every data presented.
The brutality against the non-violent satyagrahis was blood curdling. I can only say hats off to these brave people who never showed anger and were completely restrained even when under torture.
It is appalling that the British looted India off her riches, then have the audacity to claim responsibility for empowering/ civilizing India.
One quote sums it all - ...to this ruining of the land with taxation, this ruining of industry with tariffs, and this ruining of commerce with foreign control, add the drainage of millions of dollars from India year after year- and the attempt to explain India's poverty as the result of her superstitions becomes a dastardly deception practiced upon a world too busy to be well informed.
March 28, 2017
The book describes in graphic detail the atrocities of the so-called "civilized" Britishers (refer definition below!!!!!) in the chapter "The rape of a continent". The difference is that he has quoted numbers and figures; unassailable facts and laws that graphically illustrate the systematic destruction of all kinds of local enterprise. For example, produce was taxed at 50%; the documented fact that tax rates rates were the highest in India across the world; Sample this:
"The fundamental principle of the british has been to make the whole indian nation subservient... they have been taxed to the utmost limit; the indians have been denied every honor, dignity or office".... F J Shore testifying to the house of commons in 1857
"Under their dependence on the british - Oudh and Karnatic, 2 of the noblest provinces in India, were plunged into a state of wretchedness with which no part of the Earth has anything to compare" - Lt Col Brigs, 1830
"The Governments' assessment does not even leave enough food for the cultivator to feed his family" - Sir William Hunter, 1875
"The Rajahs had taxed the people much less severely than the british.... "
"The national debt of India rose from $35,000,000 in 1792 to $3,500,000,000 in 1929. These figures tell the tale"
The book is littered with such graphic details - all taken from western, and primarily british sources. It examines how the economic fabric of the country was destroyed, how for example its textile trade was wrecked; its impact on the prosperity of the nation. It also examines the specious claims of education improvement - there were more schools in India before the advent of the civilized british; how the number of schools diminished and were discouraged; It looks at the now-famous example of the british gift of railways - in the USA, railways were used largely for goods transport, whereas in India their function was for the imperial class travels; It examines how every activity of the british - right down to the bullets used to suppress revolts were exacted from Indians;
It looks at the wages paid to Indians; It details tariffs of 80% on Indian products as opposed to zero tariffs on british imports; "The result was that Manchester and Paisley flourished and Indian industries declined. India was transformed into a purely agricultural country, and her mineral wealth was not explored; artisans etc were forced to live off the land; no competition was to be allowed to English industries- Kohn".
Read More : https://reflectionsvvk.blogspot.in/20...
"The fundamental principle of the british has been to make the whole indian nation subservient... they have been taxed to the utmost limit; the indians have been denied every honor, dignity or office".... F J Shore testifying to the house of commons in 1857
"Under their dependence on the british - Oudh and Karnatic, 2 of the noblest provinces in India, were plunged into a state of wretchedness with which no part of the Earth has anything to compare" - Lt Col Brigs, 1830
"The Governments' assessment does not even leave enough food for the cultivator to feed his family" - Sir William Hunter, 1875
"The Rajahs had taxed the people much less severely than the british.... "
"The national debt of India rose from $35,000,000 in 1792 to $3,500,000,000 in 1929. These figures tell the tale"
The book is littered with such graphic details - all taken from western, and primarily british sources. It examines how the economic fabric of the country was destroyed, how for example its textile trade was wrecked; its impact on the prosperity of the nation. It also examines the specious claims of education improvement - there were more schools in India before the advent of the civilized british; how the number of schools diminished and were discouraged; It looks at the now-famous example of the british gift of railways - in the USA, railways were used largely for goods transport, whereas in India their function was for the imperial class travels; It examines how every activity of the british - right down to the bullets used to suppress revolts were exacted from Indians;
It looks at the wages paid to Indians; It details tariffs of 80% on Indian products as opposed to zero tariffs on british imports; "The result was that Manchester and Paisley flourished and Indian industries declined. India was transformed into a purely agricultural country, and her mineral wealth was not explored; artisans etc were forced to live off the land; no competition was to be allowed to English industries- Kohn".
Read More : https://reflectionsvvk.blogspot.in/20...
May 31, 2024
Written by an American in 1930 and challenging to find. Primarily a compilation of quotes, it provides several insights. Here's what I didn't know earlier
- Half the children born in Bengal died before reaching the age of 8. Biggest cause of famines was >50% tax on farmers
- Indians contributed 200,000 more men to WW1 than Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand combined but received no medals.
- Motilal Nehru: "Number of Englishmen convicted of murder in India in 150 years: 0."
- Rowlatt Act of 1919 was almost identical to the Spanish Inquisition rules: arrest without trial, no right to a lawyer, secret trial with no appeal, accused cannot present any witness.
New trivia about Mahatma Gandhi
- "Swaraj, Home Rule, is not our goal. Our battle is spiritual... we must conquer freedom for all humanity."
- Suspension of India's revolutionary movement during WW1, allowed England to reduce its Indian army to 15,000 men (a lost opportunity).
- Did not call off the non-cooperation movement after the Moplah riots in Aug 1921, but after Chauri Chaura in Feb 1922
- Was inactive in the freedom movement during 1922-1930
After Jallianwala Bagh massacre:
- Dyer ordered Indians to crawl on their bellies on a street where a woman missionary had been hurt; those who refused were struck by soldiers' gun butts.
- Sadhus had lime poured on their naked bodies and were exposed to the sun until the lime hardened and cracked their skin.
Rolled my eyes at:
- "...Remarkable capacity to suffer without striking back, signaling India's new pride and resolution."
- "The unifier of India had to be a saint, not a politician" (Mahatma Gandhi)
- Half the children born in Bengal died before reaching the age of 8. Biggest cause of famines was >50% tax on farmers
- Indians contributed 200,000 more men to WW1 than Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand combined but received no medals.
- Motilal Nehru: "Number of Englishmen convicted of murder in India in 150 years: 0."
- Rowlatt Act of 1919 was almost identical to the Spanish Inquisition rules: arrest without trial, no right to a lawyer, secret trial with no appeal, accused cannot present any witness.
New trivia about Mahatma Gandhi
- "Swaraj, Home Rule, is not our goal. Our battle is spiritual... we must conquer freedom for all humanity."
- Suspension of India's revolutionary movement during WW1, allowed England to reduce its Indian army to 15,000 men (a lost opportunity).
- Did not call off the non-cooperation movement after the Moplah riots in Aug 1921, but after Chauri Chaura in Feb 1922
- Was inactive in the freedom movement during 1922-1930
After Jallianwala Bagh massacre:
- Dyer ordered Indians to crawl on their bellies on a street where a woman missionary had been hurt; those who refused were struck by soldiers' gun butts.
- Sadhus had lime poured on their naked bodies and were exposed to the sun until the lime hardened and cracked their skin.
Rolled my eyes at:
- "...Remarkable capacity to suffer without striking back, signaling India's new pride and resolution."
- "The unifier of India had to be a saint, not a politician" (Mahatma Gandhi)
March 10, 2020
Its a book which summarizes India's rich vedic past, its science, mathematics, medicine, religion, philosophy, literature, art, architecture, etc. It touches upon how the muslim invaders destroyed most of that. But the following are the negatives I found which was intolerable as it is repeated throughout the book
- Anti Brahminism throughout the book. Author seems to be holding Brahmins responsible for all the ills that face India. He might have learnt about India from the Caldwells and GU Popes (all Christian missionaries)
- Aryan Invasion theory peddled. This lie has been proven wrong many times but this book was written long back
- It is very apparent that the author has a hate for Hinduism. He speaks about the Hinduism very disparagingly. The author seems to be a Christian bigot and that bias is very apparent when you read the book
- Author conveniently white washes the atrocities of the British and invokes Darwinism to justify the British invasion and destruction of India (victory of strong over weak). Author talks about the poverty of India but hides the fact that India controlled 25% of GDP before British came and 4% of GDP when they left India.
I started reading the book on strong recommendations to read about India's past glory but there are many other books that we can read to learn the same. Unless somebody desparately wants to learn India's glory from a westerner, I recommend to skip this book.
- Anti Brahminism throughout the book. Author seems to be holding Brahmins responsible for all the ills that face India. He might have learnt about India from the Caldwells and GU Popes (all Christian missionaries)
- Aryan Invasion theory peddled. This lie has been proven wrong many times but this book was written long back
- It is very apparent that the author has a hate for Hinduism. He speaks about the Hinduism very disparagingly. The author seems to be a Christian bigot and that bias is very apparent when you read the book
- Author conveniently white washes the atrocities of the British and invokes Darwinism to justify the British invasion and destruction of India (victory of strong over weak). Author talks about the poverty of India but hides the fact that India controlled 25% of GDP before British came and 4% of GDP when they left India.
I started reading the book on strong recommendations to read about India's past glory but there are many other books that we can read to learn the same. Unless somebody desparately wants to learn India's glory from a westerner, I recommend to skip this book.
March 6, 2017
Written in 1930, this is a brief yet poignant and masterful narrative of the British rule in India by the renowned American historian and Pulitzer Prize winner, Will Durant. A rich and objective perspective on the life, times and opinions of varied stakeholders of British ruled India. There are little factoids embedded in the book; which I was not aware of, despite being an avid reader; and born and studied in India. The book is unique, in that it gives a perspective of what the Britishers thought of India; and their contributions to India; with a counter perspective on the same from the Indian freedom fighters. His perspective of Mahatma Gandhi's belief, contribution and opinion of 'Free India' is also quite unique and objective.
An extract from his book's foreword on why the historian, hitherto known for his books on study of global civilizations and philosophy authors a book on India - ' I began to feel that I had come upon the greatest crime in all history...For I know of nothing in the world that I would rather do today than to be of help to India'.
An extract from his book's foreword on why the historian, hitherto known for his books on study of global civilizations and philosophy authors a book on India - ' I began to feel that I had come upon the greatest crime in all history...For I know of nothing in the world that I would rather do today than to be of help to India'.
July 26, 2020
After reading this book, I cannot grapple with how an American observer could simply compile facts into a 150-page book written in 1930, and still make it so heart-wrenching and eye-opening. Even having studied Indian history in the classroom, The Case for India made me realize that I knew close to nothing about the multifaceted humiliation, persecution and destruction that the British waged upon India. Be it in the form of actively trying to create religious and casteist divisions or the systematic disintegration of Indian industry or the repeated disallowance of more qualified Indians into positions of power that were then occupied by under qualified Englishmen or the vetoing of proposals passed by provincial legislatures to introduce universal primary education or... the list goes on. This book is a must-read for anyone who identifies as an Indian, but even more so for those who don't. It is a basic prerequisite for anyone interested in learning about the British Raj.
August 22, 2017
Indian History has too often been swept under the strokes of uncontrolled nationalism, painting normal men as Mahatmas and questionable policy makers as pandits. However, in this book, written in 1930, Will Durant provides a rivetting history of India which tells us exactly what we want to know. How is the Independence Movement going? And how did we get here? More importantly, WHY is it happening in the first place. Why are the English gentlemen, the British boors? The book makes a case for India and HOW! Even to those of us who knew about Indian History, it is very different reading about how events were percieved as they happened as opposed to later, after being eroded by time.
A must read.
P.S- General Dyer was the biggest asshole that ever lived.If you thought he was bad before, read the book.
A must read.
P.S- General Dyer was the biggest asshole that ever lived.If you thought he was bad before, read the book.
Read
December 17, 2019A book by an American historian on Indian freedom struggle in 1930 was interesting in so many ways.
1. It is based on notes that were gathered 17 years before independence and presented a case on whether it was time for India to be granted home rule.
2. The Indian society as pictured in 20th century was a study in contrast to what we are today.
3. Comparison of governance then & today would make excellent debate.
1. It is based on notes that were gathered 17 years before independence and presented a case on whether it was time for India to be granted home rule.
2. The Indian society as pictured in 20th century was a study in contrast to what we are today.
3. Comparison of governance then & today would make excellent debate.
January 17, 2019
Reading about the British exploitation of India from a contemporary of that era is enlightening. Coming from an American, we can be rest assured that it is as impartial as it can get. British, worse than a vulture fed on a living civilization. Figures and numbers of the British loot of India will shock anyone. A long chapter is written on Gandhi, giving a glimpse of his life, philosophy, writings. Gandhi has done more damage to India than help. Will Durant's book is a valuable account and record of the British exploitation of India. A must read.
October 14, 2015
One of the most detailed accounts of British India by a foreign author, untouched by the arrogance of racism. Will Durant gives a thorough exposition of the loot of our country and the designs to have her enslaved by the British for very many centuries. No doubt this was banned by the British Parliament, for it would bring an Englishman, proud of his country's authority, face to face with the evil that it has bred all along.
Read
January 3, 2013I want this book.
June 18, 2013
Must read for anyone that doesn't know the British's effect on our country.
February 1, 2020
A must read . A primer to get a context on Modern India through the history of our struggle for freedom and autonomy.
May 9, 2019
must read book for Indian history buffs
September 2, 2022
The author Will Durant is aware of prejudices ingrained in hearts and composure of men. However, his painstaking devotion to impartiality and just mention of facts, anecdotes and statistical records are commendable.
India was not independent the time this book was written. In fact, it was pre-WW2 era. However, all the events, their underlying causes and leaders as well as the motivations, goals dreamt of and what actually were the ends are still relevant and accurate in discourse of:
1. Modern Indian Nationalism
2. The affairs of the British Raj
3. Social-Political-Economic Weltanschauung
4. Relationship between the Master (England) and the Slave (India)
Recommended for the readers who are less of jingoists and more of skeptics, for they will find more of antithetical points to the popular thought of their populace's consciousness. The goal is not to point out at certain ethnicities, races, religions, sexes or castes but to learn about the schools of thoughts and conducts and how they shape the shared future of the Commonwealth in particular and Mankind at large.
NOTE: The word "Hindu" has been frequently used to denote whole of the Indian race in general talking points. "Hindu" as a particular religion/sect is considered only when communal/martial distinctions are acknowledged in the conversation wrt., Moslems, Sikhs, Christians and so on.
India was not independent the time this book was written. In fact, it was pre-WW2 era. However, all the events, their underlying causes and leaders as well as the motivations, goals dreamt of and what actually were the ends are still relevant and accurate in discourse of:
1. Modern Indian Nationalism
2. The affairs of the British Raj
3. Social-Political-Economic Weltanschauung
4. Relationship between the Master (England) and the Slave (India)
Recommended for the readers who are less of jingoists and more of skeptics, for they will find more of antithetical points to the popular thought of their populace's consciousness. The goal is not to point out at certain ethnicities, races, religions, sexes or castes but to learn about the schools of thoughts and conducts and how they shape the shared future of the Commonwealth in particular and Mankind at large.
NOTE: The word "Hindu" has been frequently used to denote whole of the Indian race in general talking points. "Hindu" as a particular religion/sect is considered only when communal/martial distinctions are acknowledged in the conversation wrt., Moslems, Sikhs, Christians and so on.
June 28, 2018
On many levels, this is an excellent book. The first, is that it is a rare book where a Western author has presented the case for India so very compellingly.
The fact that many Indian institutions were destroyed by the British (including the education system) is well presented. The case of the famines that the British caused by diverting grain from India is again documented. The fact that the Industrial Revolution was built on Indian money, while destroying India's economy is again well argued.
He writes well, and has attempted to see the argument from both, the British, and the Indian perspective. Sadly, the British perspective only serves to present them in a more unfavourable light.
The Hindu-Muslim divide was created by the British, and India was messily carved into two nations (this happened 17 years after the book was written)
A book well worth the read
The fact that many Indian institutions were destroyed by the British (including the education system) is well presented. The case of the famines that the British caused by diverting grain from India is again documented. The fact that the Industrial Revolution was built on Indian money, while destroying India's economy is again well argued.
He writes well, and has attempted to see the argument from both, the British, and the Indian perspective. Sadly, the British perspective only serves to present them in a more unfavourable light.
The Hindu-Muslim divide was created by the British, and India was messily carved into two nations (this happened 17 years after the book was written)
A book well worth the read
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews