Eastern Interlude: A Social History of the European Community in Calcutta

by Roger Pearson

A gripping account of British life in the capital city of their Indian Empire, their treatment of the Indian population, and their own reaction to Indian culture - from 1689 when they founded Calcutta, until the early 20th century, when the capital of British India was moved from Bengal to New Delhi. This is a vivid pen picture which reveals the day-to-day life and epic adventures of the kind of people who made Europeans a dominant force in world history. Their attitudes to the native peoples and the rise of racial consciousness are described. First published in 1954, in Calcutta, India, and later reprinted in the USA. Described by the Hindustan Times (India) "a vivid picture of European social life in India free from prejudices and prepossessions"; by the Hindustan Standard (India) "objective …brilliant"; by the Indian PEN "Exceptionally well-balanced"; and by the London Times as "most diverting and readable…amusing and vivid… it comes to life on every page". Chapters Merchant Adventurers; The Early Settlement; Growth and Prosperity; The Rule of the Nabobs; Imperial Splendor; The Merchant Princes; and Victorian Calcutta.

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997