Rulers, Townsmen and Bazaars

by C.A. Bayly

This volume traces the evolution of north Indian towns and merchant communities from the decline of Moghul dominion to the consolidation of Britain's empire in India following the 1857 'mutiny'.

Genres: History, India, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published January 20, 1983

About the author

Christopher Alan Bayly was a British historian specializing in British Imperial, Indian, and global history. A graduate of the University of Oxford, he was the Vere Harmsworth Professor of Imperial and Naval History at the University of Cambridge. He was knighted in 2007 for achievements as a historian.

Reviews

[Geoffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely dense study, but well worth reading if you’re interested in the topic. It tackles precisely the subject suggested by the title, in fascinating detail with a wealth of interesting sources. The conclusion brings it all together to suggest alternative ways of looking at Indian history. As such it’s a valuable counterweight to more event-driven narrative histories focused on ‘Anarchy’ and ‘Rebellion’, sich as those by Dalrymple, which over-emphasise the British colonial impact at the cost of local long term developments.

The author’s perspective in a nutshell:
“Government along with expanded external trade and new ideas achieved a superficial westernisation. But the society which they modified was already moving along its own, slower paths of development. These stretched back to the pre-colonial period.”