Princely India and the British

Angma Dey Jhala, Assistant Professor of History, Bentley University

Despite a recent revival of historical scholarship on the princely states of India,few works have focused primarily on the princes themselves. Caroline Keen analyzes in remarkable depth the life cycle of Indian princes in relation to British policies. Specific examples of where the British could and could not control these clients reveal new insights into how autonomous princes could be within a system of indirect rule. Equally commendable is that Keen’s research expands our understanding of how women in princely families negotiated in their familial and political roles.

Barbara Ramusack, Charles Phelps Taft Professor of History Emerita,University of Cincinnati

This book raises questions about the consequences of British action on princely India at a number of levels. It shows the shifts in power between different elements in the princely courts and the varying political priorities and influence of the British, ranging from the formal Political Officers and the Residents to the academic tutors of each prince. Caroline Keen has used a vast amount of material and has presented a treasure trove of examples upon which scholars can draw. –Shalini Sharma, Lecturer in Colonial and Post Colonial History, Keele University