Home › Books › Rebels Against the Raj: Western Fighters for Indi…
Rebels Against the Raj: Western Fighters for India's Freedom
by
65/99
Critics
34/99
Readers
n/a
Scholars
46/99
Rating
84/99
Volume
53/99
Rating
14/99
Volume
—
Sign in to add to your shelf, rate, or review this book.
About This Book
An extraordinary history of resistance and the fight for Indian independence—the little-known story of seven foreigners to India who joined the movement fighting for freedom from British colonial rule. Rebels Against the Raj tells the story of seven people who chose to struggle for a country other than their own: foreigners to India who across the late 19th to late 20th century arrived to join the freedom movement fighting for independence from British colonial rule. Of the seven, four were British, two American, and one Irish. Four men, three women. Before and after being jailed or deported they did remarkable and pioneering work in a variety of fields: journalism, social reform, education, the emancipation of women, environmentalism. This book tells their stories, each renegade motivated by idealism and genuine sacrifice; each connected to Gandhi, though some as acolytes where others found endless infuriation in his views; each understanding they would likely face prison sentences for their resistance, and likely live and die in India; each one leaving a profound impact on the region in which they worked, their legacies continuing through the institutions they founded and the generations and individuals they inspired. Through these entwined lives, wonderfully told by one of the world's finest historians, we reach deep insights into relations between India and the West, and India's story as a country searching for its identity and liberty beyond British colonial rule.
Preview
Reviews
"It is about the state of contemporary India that Guha is most aggrieved."
"One of the more engaging stories is that of the social reformer Annie Besant ..."
"Guha gives a lively recap of their exploits...but at heart their stories are about Anglo-Americans falling in love with Hindu culture and spirituality ..."
"For those looking for a new perspective on India's fight for independence and beyond, and what drives people to devote their life and freedom to a cause not their own."
"As Guha demonstrates, all of these individuals dedicated their lives to the causes for which Gandhi was so passionate."
"[Guha] is a man of the liberal left, as can be seen in his attempt to liken his Western champions of Indian freedom to the foreigners who volunteered to fight on the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War."
Reader Reviews
0 reviewsSign in to write a review.
No reader reviews yet. Be the first!