Railways and the Raj : how the age of steam transformed India / Christian Wolmar.
Publisher: London : Atlantic Books, 2017Description: xix, 363 pages : illustrations ; 24 cmContent type:- text
- unmediated
- volume
- 9781786495273 (pbk.)
- 23 385.0954 WOL 011965
Item type | Current library | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode |
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Book | Indian Institute for Human Settlements, Bangalore | 385.0954 WOL 011965 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | Available | 011965 |
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385.0954 ROY 005513 The great Indian railway atlas / | 385.0954 VER 005593 Indian Railways : | 385.0954 WES 004376 Railways of India / | 385.0954 WOL 011965 Railways and the Raj : | 385.0954 WOR 006244 Reloṃ ke nirmāṇa, maśīna, aura cala sṭāka kā kāryakrama = | 385.0954 WOR 006989 Reloṃ ke nirmāṇa, maśīna, aura cala sṭāka kā kāryakrama = | 385.095405 DEM 005920 केन्द्रीय सरकार की अनुदानों की मांगें = Demands for grants of central government 2008-2009 / |
Includes bibliographies (pages 339-351) and index.
The epic story of the British construction of the railways in India, as told by Britain's bestselling transport historian.'Christian Wolmar is Britain's foremost railway historian.' The Times 'Our leading writer on the railways' Guardian 'Christian Wolmar is in love with railways... He is their wisest, most detailed historian' ObserverIndia was the jewel in the crown of the British Empire. There were vast riches to be exploited and vast numbers of people to be subjugated. How better to achieve these aims than by building a rail network that facilitated the export of raw material and made it easier for troops to travel around the country to tackle uprisings?India joined the railway age late: the first line was not completed until 1853 but, by 1929, 41,000 miles of track served the country. However, the creation of this vast network was not intended to modernize India for the sake of its people but rather was a means for the colonial power to govern the huge country under its control, serving its British economic and military interests. By building India's railways, Britain radically changed the nation but also unwittingly created the preconditions of independence. While the railways benefitted India and were its first modern development, their construction ultimately contributed to a stirring of nationalist opinion, as resentment grew among the Indian population over the conditions they endured when travelling by train and the barring of Indians from the better paid railway jobs.Despite the dubious intentions behind the construction of the network, the Indian people quickly took to the railways, as the trains allowed them to travel easily for the first time. The Indian Railways network remains one of the largest in the world, serving over 25 million passengers each day.In this expertly told history, Christian Wolmar reveals the full story of India's railways, from its very beginnings to the present day, and examines the chequered role they have played in Indian history and the creation of today's modern state.
During the second half of the nineteenth century, the plans for British Empire expansion knew no bounds and landscapes around the world were forever changed by colonial infrastructure.In 1842 not a single mile of railway line existed in India: by 1929 41,000 miles of track served the country. Yet this was not intended to modernise India for the sake of its people but was a means for those in power to govern the huge country under their control. Despite the dubious intentions for the construction of the network, the Indian people quickly took to the railways, expanding their horizons and making migration to the cities of India easier than ever before. The Indian Railways network remains one of the largest in the world, serving over 25 million passengers each day.By building the railways in India, Britain radically changed the nation but also unwittingly created the preconditions of independence. While the railways greatly benefitted India and were the nation's first modern development, their construction ultimately contributed to a stirring of nationalist opinion.In this expertly told history, Christian Wolmar traces the evolution of India's rail network, revealing how it was largely subverted for British economic and military purposes. He also examines the chequered role of the railways in Indian history and the part they played in the creation of today's modern state.
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