This book discusses the history of the British empire in India. It grew out of a speech on reparations to India that author presented at Oxford University. The author has been a member of Parliament for the Congress Party. Many writers praise the rule of the British in the sub-continent. This book, on the contrary, looks at every aspect of the question and shows how British rule was a disaster for the people there. It destroyed the indigenous textile industry, did not develop the country, and lead to gigantic famines. India is the most populous country in the world and is called the world's biggest democracy. This book enables us to understand how the country got to this place.
1. The Looting of India
2. Did the British Give India Political Unity?
3. Democracy, the Press, the Parliamentary System and the Rule of Law
4. Divide Et Impera
5. The Myth of Enlightened Despotism
6. The Remaining Case for Empire
7. The (Im)Balance Sheet: A Coda
8. The Messy Afterlife of Colonialism.
This book is available in paperback, and an audio book is available free from the LA public library.