A review of the book 'India Conquered: Britain’s Raj and the Chaos of Empire' written by Jon Wilson.
'India Conquered: Britain’s Raj and the Chaos of Empire' is the first general history of British India for over twenty years, getting under the skin of the empire to show how British rule really worked. Oscillating between paranoid paralysis and moments of extreme violence, it was beset by chaos and chronic weakness.
Jon Wilson argues that this contradictory character was a consequence of the Raj’s failure to create long-term relationships with Indian society and claims that these systemic problems still affect the world’s largest democracy as it navigates the twenty-first century.
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Coming up: A review of the book 'India Conquered: Britain’s Raj and the Chaos of Empire' written by Jon Wilson.
Namaste Friends. My name is 'Shinil Subramanian Payamal' and you are listening to the Historylogy podcast.
Before I proceed, a full disclosure: This book was bought with my own money and not been provided to me by the author or publisher.
Little bit about the author:
Jon Wilson is a historian of South Asia and beyond, interested in the everyday life of politics and government and their complicated relationship to ideas about how the world is organised. From July 2025, he will be Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Beforehand, he taught and researched at King's College London. This book i.e. India Conquered (US title: The Chaos of Empire) was shortlisted for the Longman-History Today Prize. He lives in Singapore.
Let me read a brief description of the book:
QUOTE
In the nineteenth century, imperial India was at the centre of Britain’s global power. But since its partition between India and Pakistan in 1947, the Raj has divided opinion: some celebrate its supposed role in creating much that is good in the modern world; others condemn it as the cause of continuing poverty. Today, the Raj lives on in faded images of Britain’s former glory, a notion used now to sell goods in India as well as Europe. But its real character has been poorly understood.
India Conquered is the first general history of British India for over twenty years, getting under the skin of the empire to show how British rule really worked. Oscillating between paranoid paralysis and moments of extreme violence, it was beset by chaos and chronic weakness. Jon Wilson argues that this contradictory character was a consequence of the Raj’s failure to create long-term relationships with Indian society and claims that these systemic problems still affect the world’s largest democracy as it navigates the twenty-first century.
UNQUOTE
Published in 2016, Wilson’s meticulously researched book ‘India Conquered: Britain's Raj and the Chaos of Empire’ offers a bold and revisionist perspective on British colonial rule in India, challenging romanticized narratives of the British Empire as a well-organized, benevolent force. He argues that British rule was characterized by chaos, improvisation, and insecurity.
Drawing on a wealth of archival sources, Wilson constructs a narrative that is both engaging and sobering, shedding light on the messy realities of colonial governance and its profound impact on India.
The book traces the evolution of British control, starting with the Company’s violent and often haphazard expansion in the 18th century, through the 1857 Rebellion, and up to the eventual transfer of power in 1947.
One of the book’s strengths is its focus on the human cost of empire, both for the colonized and the colonizers. Wilson challenges the notion that the British “civilized” India, pointing to the disruption of local economies, the exacerbation of social divisions, and the destruction of indigenous institutions.
He also critiques the legacy of British infrastructure projects, like railways, arguing they primarily served imperial interests rather than Indian welfare.
Wilson’s prose is accessible yet scholarly, striking a balance that makes the book appealing to both academic readers and general audiences.
Some of the things I found weird that were mentioned in the book were claims like:
“When Hindu temples were destroyed it was because they belonged to rulers who refused to submit to the (Mughal) emperor’s authority, and not because they symbolized religious difference.”
As we all know, Bharat was always a land of non-believers for Islamic invaders/rulers through the ages and has remained so. In fact, almost all the Muslim invaders/rulers, from Mahmud Ghazni to Afzal Khan were proud to be called "Butshikan" and "Kufrashikan" i.e. destroyer of idols and idol worshipers.
And some of the things I liked the way it was put was e.g. “Lord Bentinck only outlawed sati once he was convinced that it was not an authentic Hindu rite.” And also about how exaggerated reports during the 1857 rebellion had been transmitted to London about terrible violations and atrocities committed by Indian insurgents for justification of brutal crackdown on the rebellion as revenge.
Conclusion:
Overall, ‘India Conquered’ is a powerful and thought-provoking reexamination of British colonialism in India which forces readers to confront the harsh realities of colonial rule and to question long-held assumptions about the nature of imperial power.
Wilson’s argument that the Raj was a chaotic, insecure enterprise rather than a triumphant civilizing mission is convincing and well-supported. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in colonial history, South Asian studies, or the legacies of the (British) empire.
It is a valuable contribution to postcolonial historiography which serves as a stark reminder of the violence and disruption wrought by imperialism, while also illuminating the complexities of Britain’s encounter with India.
I give this book 4.25/5.
The book is available in Hardcover, Paperback and Kindle formats and is yet to be made available in Audible format. I have given the respective buy links in the show notes. Please check them out for the latest prices.
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