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My next book is a new history of sixteenth and seventeenth-century England, written not from the perspective of kings and queens, but that of people moving in and out of the country. Captures the mixture of excitement, prejudice, anxiety, misunderstanding and mutual interest that characterised an encounter that did so much to shape the contours of the modern world' Professor Andrew Hadfield Moreover, we were reminded through this story of the first ambassadorial mission of the value of international diplomacy, but also of the cultural minefields that surround it in ways that still have resonance today,” he added.
the thudding footsteps of the royal elephants outside, the animal scent of hay and leather from the Persian horses snorting their impatience, mingled with the cool water sprayed in the air, perfumed with the attar of rose and jasmine, the music of the naubat floating from the naqqar khana, ‘solemn, grand, and melodious’
Nandini Das’ Courting India stands as a beacon, illuminating the corridors of history with fresh perspectives. Join Book Club: Delivered to your inbox every Friday, a selection of publishing news, literary observations, poetry recommendations and more from Book World writer Ron Charles. Sign up for the newsletter. But when Roe finally arrives in India and gets to the imperial Mughal court in Ajmer I found myself enthralled - perhaps I am more easily captured by the extravagance of the Mughal court than Roe was. Here is a flavour of Roe’s outing to meet the emperor for the first time: Unions are the last line of defence workers have in modern industries, especially when the management isn’t averse to undermining their rights, dignity and health. A violent confrontation between the workers of Maruti Suzuki and the management in 2012 resulted in the death of a manager and injury to hundreds of workers and management staff. Thirteen workers, including the entire Maruti Suzuki Workers Union leadership, were given life term in 2017. However, the workers have claimed innocence. ‘Japanese Management, Indian Resistance’ tells the story from the perspective of the factory workers interviewed over three years. The authors say the book is a glimpse into the new India, turning from a welfare state into a corporate state, in which profits trump the rights of citizens
To think that Courting India may have contributed even marginally towards that goal at some level is a wonderful impetus towards my future work. What inspired you to delve into the origins of the British Empire in India? At the same time, she grants us a privileged vantage point from which we can appreciate how a measure of mutual understanding did begin to emerge, even though it was vulnerable to the ups and downs of Mughal politics and to the restless ambitions of the British,” he said. A profound and ground-breaking approach to one of the most important encounters in the history of colonialism: the British arrival in India in the early seventeenth century. The relative unimportance of the English for their Indian counterparts, for instance, is illustrated by the fact that Jahangir never once mentions the English ambassador. Historian Nandini Das’ debut book takes us to the point when Thomas Roe entered India as James I’s first ambassador to the Mughal Empire, marking the beginning of Britain’s long entangled history with India. Roe was representing a kingdom beset by financial woes and deeply conflicted about its identity as a unified ‘Great Britain’. The court he entered in India was wealthy and cultured, its dominion widely considered to be one of the greatest and richest empires of the world. Das’ fascinating history of Roe’s four years in India offers an insider’s view of a Britain in the making. It is a story of palace intrigue and scandal, lotteries and wagers that unfolds as global trade begins to stretch.
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The focus of Courting India is on the first English embassy and the experiences of the first English ambassador, Sir Thomas Roe, in India. Das’ work is a detailed, almost day by day account. The main source is Roe’s journal, which he was obliged to write by the East India Company, his co-employer, along with James I of England. We hear first hand from Roe about the difficulties he faced in establishing himself with the imperial inner circle in India - for most of whom England was an unknown irrelevance - and the troubles caused by his fellow countrymen running amok whenever they were let off a boat.
When Thomas Roe arrived in India in 1616 as James I's first ambassador to the Mughal Empire, the English barely had a toehold in the subcontinent. Their understanding of South Asian trade and India was sketchy at best, and, to the Mughals, they were minor players on a very large stage. Histories of empire tend to either ignore this very early period or treat it fleetingly as pre-history.
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In this fascinating history of Roe’s four years in India, Nandini Das offers an insider’s view of Britain in the making, a country whose imperial seeds were just being sown. It is a story of palace intrigue, scandal, lotteries, and wagers that unfold as global trade begins to stretch from Russia to Virginia, from West Africa to the Spice Islands of Indonesia. Change the plan you will roll onto at any time during your trial by visiting the “Settings & Account” section. What happens at the end of my trial?
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