Claiming India

French Scholars and the Preoccupation with India in the Nineteenth Century

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, Ethnic Studies, History
Cover of the book Claiming India by Jyoti Mohan, SAGE Publications
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Jyoti Mohan ISBN: 9789352804672
Publisher: SAGE Publications Publication: November 27, 2017
Imprint: Sage Publications Pvt. Ltd Language: English
Author: Jyoti Mohan
ISBN: 9789352804672
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Publication: November 27, 2017
Imprint: Sage Publications Pvt. Ltd
Language: English

Most of us grew up with the knowledge that India had been a British colony—the jewel in the crown of the Raj. Even those with slightly deeper knowledge who knew that France had once been a contender for the Indian empire consider it a romantic interlude between the Mughals and their self-proclaimed Anglo-successors. Yet our ideas about India, fundamentally wrought from the colonial recasting of knowledge in strictly ‘Western’ categories—religion, history, politics, economy, mythology, and even the modern self-conception of race (Aryan v/s Dravidian)—were drawn from the studies of French Indologists. So France, a failed temporal conqueror, had actually conquered ‘India’—the idea. This book traces the process by which France ‘claimed India’ by defining India through caste, history, race and religion. The obvious question is, of course, why? Why did France invest all this energy, time, and money into defining an area she no longer controlled politically? To challenge the British? To demonstrate her own commitment to the ‘civilizing mission’? This book demonstrates how France’s fascination with India stemmed from all of these motives, as well as being a key component of her own national self-definition in the nineteenth century.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Most of us grew up with the knowledge that India had been a British colony—the jewel in the crown of the Raj. Even those with slightly deeper knowledge who knew that France had once been a contender for the Indian empire consider it a romantic interlude between the Mughals and their self-proclaimed Anglo-successors. Yet our ideas about India, fundamentally wrought from the colonial recasting of knowledge in strictly ‘Western’ categories—religion, history, politics, economy, mythology, and even the modern self-conception of race (Aryan v/s Dravidian)—were drawn from the studies of French Indologists. So France, a failed temporal conqueror, had actually conquered ‘India’—the idea. This book traces the process by which France ‘claimed India’ by defining India through caste, history, race and religion. The obvious question is, of course, why? Why did France invest all this energy, time, and money into defining an area she no longer controlled politically? To challenge the British? To demonstrate her own commitment to the ‘civilizing mission’? This book demonstrates how France’s fascination with India stemmed from all of these motives, as well as being a key component of her own national self-definition in the nineteenth century.

More books from SAGE Publications

Cover of the book Those Who Did Not Die by Jyoti Mohan
Cover of the book Child and Adolescent Psychopathology by Jyoti Mohan
Cover of the book Standards-Based Instruction and Assessment for English Language Learners by Jyoti Mohan
Cover of the book Corrupt Research by Jyoti Mohan
Cover of the book Terrorism and Political Violence by Jyoti Mohan
Cover of the book Hinduism in India by Jyoti Mohan
Cover of the book Business and Community by Jyoti Mohan
Cover of the book Management of Organizational Change by Jyoti Mohan
Cover of the book Social Network Analysis by Jyoti Mohan
Cover of the book Transforming Schools for English Learners by Jyoti Mohan
Cover of the book Anti-Oppressive Social Work by Jyoti Mohan
Cover of the book The Learning Framework in Number by Jyoti Mohan
Cover of the book Psychological Testing by Jyoti Mohan
Cover of the book What Every Principal Should Know About Instructional Leadership by Jyoti Mohan
Cover of the book Applying Regression and Correlation by Jyoti Mohan
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy