Perched among peaks that loom over heat-shimmering plains, hill stations remain among the most curious monuments to the British colonial presence in India. In this engaging and meticulously researched study, Dane Kennedy explores the development and history of the hill stations of the raj. He shows that these cloud-enshrouded havens were sites of both refuge and surveillance for British expatriates: sanctuaries from the harsh climate as well as an alien culture; artificial environments where colonial rulers could nurture, ...
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Perched among peaks that loom over heat-shimmering plains, hill stations remain among the most curious monuments to the British colonial presence in India. In this engaging and meticulously researched study, Dane Kennedy explores the development and history of the hill stations of the raj. He shows that these cloud-enshrouded havens were sites of both refuge and surveillance for British expatriates: sanctuaries from the harsh climate as well as an alien culture; artificial environments where colonial rulers could nurture, educate, and reproduce themselves; commanding heights from which orders could be issued with an Olympian authority. Kennedy charts the symbolic and sociopolitical functions of the hill stations over the course of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, arguing that these highland communities became much more significant to the British colonial government than mere places for rest and play. Particularly after the revolt of 1857, they became headquarters for colonial political and military authorities. In addition, the hill stations provided employment to countless Indians who worked as porters, merchants, government clerks, domestics, and carpenters. The isolation of British authorities at the hill stations reflected the paradoxical character of the British raj itself, Kennedy argues. While attempting to control its subjects, it remained aloof from Indian society. Ironically, as more Indians were drawn to these mountain areas for work, and later for vacation, the carefully guarded boundaries between the British and their subjects eroded. Kennedy argues that after the turn of the century, the hill stations were increasingly incorporated into the landscape of Indian social and cultural life.
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Add this copy of The Magic Mountains: Hill Stations and the British Raj to cart. $73.95, very good condition, Sold by Sequitur Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Boonsboro, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1996 by University of California Press.
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Very Good. Size: 6x1x9; Hardcover and dust jacket. Good binding and cover. Shelf wear. Foxing to top edge. xiii, 264 pages: illustrations, maps; 24 cm. Kennedy charts the symbolic and sociopolitical functions of the hill stations during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, arguing that to the British in India these communities were much more than mere pleasure spots. Particularly after the revolt of 1857, they became political and military headquarters and cantonments for colonial troops. In addition, they were centers of local and regional development that provided employment for countless Indians, who often traveled great distances to work in the hill stations as servants, merchants, and clerks. These citadels also served year-round as places for British women to bear and raise children, promoting the biological and cultural reproduction of the colonial elite. Kennedy argues that the isolation of British authorities at the hill stations reflected the paradoxical character of the British raj, attempting to control its subjects while remaining separate and aloof from Indian society. Ironically, as more Indians were drawn to these mountain areas, first for work and later for pleasure, the carefully maintained boundaries between the British and their subjects eroded. Kennedy shows that the hill stations were increasingly incorporated within the landscape of Indian social and cultural life, especially after the turn of the century.
Add this copy of The Magic Mountains: Hill Stations and the British Raj to cart. $88.15, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1996 by University of California Press.
