Constructing the Colonial Encounter: Right and Left Hand Castes in Early Colonial South IndiaThis book offers a systematic analysis of the violent clashes between the South Indian 'right' and 'left' hand caste divisions that repeatedly rocked the European settlements on the Coromandel Coast in the early colonial period. Whereas the Indian population expected the colonial authorities to intervene in the disputes, the Europeans were reluctant to get involved in conflicts which they barely understood. In the nineteenth century the significance of the divisions diminished, a development that has long puzzled historians and anthropologists. In addition, this study addresses the larger issue of the nature of colonial encounters. The rich material relating to these disputes convincingly demonstrates how Europeans and Indians, as they sought to incorporate each other into their own social structure and conceptual universe, participated in a dialogue on the nature of South Indian society. |
Contents
a Dynamic Interpretation | 17 |
Indigenous Leaders Competing | 58 |
Caste Disputes in an Expanding | 81 |
Suppremannia Chettis Challenge | 103 |
Unsettled Authority | 125 |
Caste Disputes in the Capital of Kingdoms | 139 |
Other editions - View all
Constructing the Colonial Encounter: Right and Left Hand Castes in Early ... Niels Brimnes No preview available - 2018 |
Common terms and phrases
88 fols Akter fra kommissionen Appadurai Arasaratnam argued Balijas Bilag til kommissionssagerne Black Town Board's Collection Brahmans caste disputes ceremonial rights Chingleput Chinniah Mudali colonial power commercial commission committee Company conflict context council customs Danes Danish authorities desayi deserters Dirks discourse disputes between right dubashes eighteenth century Ellis European Fort St George governor Guvernementets Depecheprotokol Guvernementets Resolutionsprotokol honours important Indian inhabitants indigenous elite Irschick Komatis leaders left hand castes left hand division little king Madras March 1812 fol MBORP merchants nadu tesattar Nicholas Dirks OIOC MSS pagodas panchacalasam Panchalar Book Paraiyans petition Pillai Pondicherry RA ASK vol RA KK vol referred relations Reports of Commerce right and left right hand castes right hand division ritual Senaittalavans servants settlement social order South India South Indian society Suncoo Chinna Kistnama Sundries vol Suppremannia Tamil temple TNSA MDR vol TNSA Mil trade Tranquebar Vellalas Walter Elliot Collection zillah court