Indians in Britain

"This book presents an analysis of the nature and impact of the Indian presence in Britain and British reactions to it. From the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century, the number of Indians arriving in Britain, to gain qualifications and learn about British society, began to grow. The greater visibility of Indians at the Inns of Court and universities fuelled British fears, arising out of popular culture and the political situation in India, about the damaging effects of students' residence in Britain. The British authorities took measures to restrict the size of the Indian student population and control political activities, placing themselves in direct conflict with students. Indians resented this encroachment of the state into their lives, which were already beset by problems of racial discrimination, isolation and, in some cases, deprivation. Many students turned to politics, and this study shows how indigenous elites from dependent colonies, in this case India, were able to appropriate ideas and institutions, to challenge, subvert and sometimes to prove their affinity with British metropolitan society."--Jacket.