タグ: ENG_Imperialism

★★★★★ Though the slavery from Africa was by then banned the labour was much needed in the Caribbean. Written by a friend who is a descendent. Slave trade has only changes the name.

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The Other Middle Passage: 
Journal of a Voyage From Calcutta to Trinidad 1858
Ron Ramdin, 1994
62 pages
Read in 2020.06
check on amazon.com

🔽 Book review and notes 🔽

Written by a friend, who himself is a descendent of the emigrant of Coolie Trade, the system established by Europe after abolishing the Slave Trade, though they are very similar.

The first part is written by Ron to introduce the background and go through the conditions of these journeys that the Indian emigrants had to make were.
He focuses on this particular ship that lost 124 lives out of 324 during the 108 day journey in 1858. 

Though the slavery from Africa was by then banned the labour was much needed in the Caribbean, so it continue to be a very important "trade", to eradicate the freedom from fellow human beings and the Europe solely focused on the profit.

And the second part is the actual journal and writing from his wife. Every day somebody died. 
Not a surprise for anyone, as the physical conditions and the distress made them prone to be sick and eventually die.
 
If you are interested in getting a copy, I might be able to help as they are not easily available.

🔽 Where to buy / Summary and more info 🔽

●●● Amazon.com (US) ●●●

The Other Middle Passage: Journal of a Voyage from Calcutta to Trinidad, 1858

●●● Amazon.co.uk (UK) ●●●
The Other Middle Passage: Journal of a Voyage from Calcutta to Trinidad, 1858 (Coolie Odyssey)

●●● Amazon.it (Italy) ●●●
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★★☆☆☆ It was interesting for the first half, exactly what I hoped, about Kalimpong and its history. Then, it gradually changes the tone and he starts to preach.  

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Chasing a blazing fire in the Himalayas
A brief sketch of the (un)noticed Kalimpong Pentecostal revival
Anmol Mukhia, 2020
146 pages
Read 2024.5
check on amazon.com

🔽 Book review and notes 🔽
It was interesting for the first half, exactly what I hoped. (Though I didn’t really know when I bought it)
It actually talks about the history and the background of the Christianity in Kalimpong and the area.
Then, it gradually changes the tone and he starts to preach.
The conclusion chapter has nothing to do with Kalimpong but just how to be a good Christian.
Not what it says on the tin, I skipped through towards the end.

🔽 Where to buy 🔽

●●● Amazon.com (US) ●●●
Chasing A Blazing Fire In The Himalayas

●●● Amazon.co.uk (UK) ●●●
Chasing A Blazing Fire In The Himalayas

●●● Amazon.it (Italy) ●●●
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★★★★★+♥  Why was the East India Company so successful? Well, because they were disrespectful, aggressive, opportunist, deceitful and selfish gang of thugs. The book is such a cultural heritage not only because it’s insightful but also passionate and humane.

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The Anarchy
The relentless rise of East India Company
William Dalrymple, 2019
576 pages
Read 2024.08
check on amazon.com

🔽 Book review and notes 🔽
A great book, definitely the top, the best.
It’s the topic I’ve always been interested in; how in the world could small England colonise India, a great power?

So is it like, Mughal Empire was a lion, and EIC a hyena?
A handful of gang, a mob, disrespectful, aggressive, opportunist, deceitful and selfish, who only thought of making quick money, took the gamble for their own profit.
They were hardly truthful to their employer, government or Crown either.
But East India Company was too big to fall, Britain was too dependent on the wealth India brought, so they nationalised it, and took over what EIC had, ie the power over the subcontinent, the start of the British India.

History is definitely more interesting and exciting than fiction here, the facts are fascinating but then you have Mr Dalrymple writing about it with his compassion, passion and humane sensibility, it becomes such a force, it’s so powerful, and utterly important.

This careful yet brave book focuses on the fall of Mughal Empire and how EIC took all the opportunities with aggression and lies, because that is what it was, and it’s hardly to do with the ability of EIC as merchants.
It contains endless anecdotes and references taken from the writing of the time that had been buried in the cluster of materials in India, so they are the facts that we were never aware of.
And facts are scary, truth hurts, historical facts almost always hurt Britain.
No wonder, sadly, some people don’t like Dalrymple’s books, history hurts them.

One particularly interesting character that I didn’t know about was Warren Hastings who loved and cared about India, unusual for EIC employee but had nasty enemies.

Again a great book, I’d even go as far as saying an important cultural treasure, and an instant classic.

🔽 Where to buy 🔽

●●● Amazon.com (US) ●●●

The Anarchy

●●● Amazon.co.uk (UK) ●●●
The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company

●●● Amazon.it (Italy) ●●●
Anarchia. L'inarrestabile ascesa della Compagnia delle Indie Orientali (Italiano)

★★★★★+♥️ The more I read the more I’m interested in Sikkim, and this is definitely the most thorough book to learn about the end of Sikkim, and of the king, chogyal. It makes you want to go there… again.

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Sikkim
Requiem for a Himalayan Kingdom
Andrew Duff, 2015
320 pages
Read 2023.01
check on amazon.com


🔽 Book review and notes 🔽
The history of the last few decades of the kingdom before it was annexed by India and the story of their last Chogyal, their last king, Thondup Namgyal.

The more I read the more I'm interested in Sikkim, and this is definitely the most thorough book to learn about Sikkim.
The author on the other hand, is Scottish who loved listening to his grandfather telling him about his journey to Sikkim when he was young.
In 2009 he finally managed to get to Sikkim, and in a Buddhist temple near Pelling, he met a strange monk who gave him a book to read.
The book was called Smash and Grab (my review here), the monk was Yongda who used to be the chogyal's Captain, and this is how his work has begun.
Andrew Duff knew he had a story to tell. And I'm glad he did.

From the 17th century Sikkim had been governed by a Tibetan king, Chyogal.
It has borders with Tibet (with China behind), Bhutan, Nepal then India, so it's fortunately or unfortunately located in a strategically important place, as such, of course all the great powers were all over this tiny kingdom.
During the British era, British called in Nepali to cultivate the land to boost economy, even though Nepal had been an enemy of Sikkim for centuries.
The mass immigration meant that the ruling race, Tibetan, became the minority.
Now, Britain has left India, and increasingly the last chogyal was vocally against Indian influence to maintain his kingdom independent.
Sikkim was split in half, those who supported the chogyal and those who didn't, which was not an unobvious choice for the majority of Sikkimese who were Nepali origin.
Was he only clinging to his personal power? His illusion? Was he unnecessarily influenced by his young American wife (Grace Kelly of the East)? Did he do his politics well? Did he had a choice?
It's a fascinating book that goes deep inside the life of the last chogyal.

All the essence of the Himalaya is here, between the big powers, India and China, and of course the British Empire, what could a tiny kingdom do? 
But it's also his very personal struggles of keeping him kingdom, of his young American wife.
Many say he played his cards wrong, but actually, he had no chance of winning anyway against India.
Sikkim remains to be a unique little bits of India.

🔽 Where to buy / Summary and more info 🔽

●●● Amazon.com (US) ●●●

Sikkim: Requiem for a Himalayan Kingdom

●●● Amazon.co.uk (UK) ●●●
Sikkim: Requiem for a Himalayan Kingdom

●●● Amazon.it (Italy) ●●●
Sikkim: Requiem for a Himalayan Kingdom [Lingua Inglese]