The Men Who Ruled India

This books takes you into the lives of the men who "Governed" India and later ruled India. As the book progresses you will notice the change in the governance style and attitude (towards India and Indians) changes.

Too bad this book is a sleeper. I had not heard of it except per chance happened to stumble upon it in a bookstore in Bangalore, India. This book is an abridgement of the author's two volume work. The writing is excellent and brisk. A note of caution to fellow Americans. The writing style is decidedly British and at first may seem a bit stilted and awkward. But one soon gets used to it. Mr. Mason's analysis of history is excellent. After a brief overview of major events the heart of the book is the analyses of said events. Though one may not agree with every conclusion; there is much food for thought. In my opinion the main legacy of the British was that of creating a nation by amalgamating a cacaphony of feifdoms and districts. Prior to 1740, the Mughul rule, contrary to popular belief, did not encompass India as a whole but only some northern areas and those were disparate and ruled by ad hoc "laws". Akbar tried to implement uniform laws and revenue estimations but met with marginal success. Prior to the moghuls there were empires such as the Ashokan but these never emcompassed the India we know today. To date this is the BEST one volume work on the British experience in India. Highly recommended.