plain tales from the raj

8/20/2019 Plain Tales From the Raj

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Plain Tales From The RajBy Charles Allen

Rahul Dagli

UC0913

The author Charles Allen was born in n!ia" an! his #amilyser$e! un!er the British Raj% &e is a writer an! an oralhistorian' se$eral o# his #amous wor(s are Tales #rom the Dar(Continent" tales o# the )outh China )ea" the sear*h #or )hangri+a an! ,i-ling sahib%

This boo( is an insight into the-erio! o# n!ia un!er British Raj" it gi$es a $i$i! !es*ri-tion o#

how the British li$ing in n!ia li$e!" #elt" an! their $arious*ustoms an! beha$ior towar!s the nati$es was% t *ontains are*or! o# the British an! their e.-erien*e o# n!ia%

/A lo$ely an! *om-elling a**ount o# what n!ia meant to theBritish between 1900 to 192 The Times%

The boo(s tell us that the n!ianso*iety was #ull o# *astes% The o**u-ation o# -eo-le wasa**or!ing to their *aste' lower *aste -eo-le were only gi$en

wor( o# swee-ers an! o# similar (in!% The bearers were usually4uslim% &igher *aste Brahmins !i! the better wor(% The Britishalso #ollowe! this *aste system% The British li$ing in n!ia ha!lots an! lots o# ser$ants #rom bearers to *oo(s" gar!eners"ayahs" mai!s" swee-ers an! so on% The ser$ants in a Britishhousehol! !i! all o# the househol! wor(% The ayahs who too(*are o# the British *hil!ren were more o# mother to them' theywoul! ta(e *are o# their -res*ribe! *hil!ren li(e there own an!were at their si!e #rom !ay to night while the memsahib wasout enjoying -arties% The n!ian so*iety at that time ha!

untou*hables 5lower *aste6 they were negle*te! an! the Britishalso #ollowe! this *ustom% The Brahmins also *onsi!ere! theBritish sahibs to be untou*hable% The Brahmins where the onlyones other than the British who were em-loye! in the n!ian*i$il ser$i*e as they were sai! to be hea$en born% The &in!us!i! not allow the non*aste &in!u to !rin( #rom the same wellas them% The n!ian #or some reason *onsi!ere!the whites to be a su-erior ra*e to them an! always showe!their res-e*t e$en when not as(e! #or" this lea! to the British*onsi!ering the nati$es to be in#erior% Due to this reason the



British gain -oliti*al -ower o$er the *ountry% All the higher-osts in -oli*e an! the n!ian *i$il ser$i*e were gi$en to theBritish an! n!ians were not able to rea*h at su*h -osts%nternally the n!ian so*iety wasn7t $ery untie!" e$en #orm theas-e*t o# business" an! they only wor(e! among their own*ir*les% The n!ian army an! the British army were se-aratean! there was har!ly any intera*tion between them% TheBritish use! to ma(e #un o# the n!ian *ustoms an! mo*( then!ian #or #ollowing rules ma!e by the British%

Due to the British an! the a!$ent o#railway" the *ities that were -orts an! a bigger station turne!into big *ities an! major business hub #or both the British an!the n!ian% Bigger station in*lu!e! Bombay an! Cal*utta% The-eo-le in these *ities ha! a -retty lu.urious li#e" all the

ser$i*es where a$ailable an! also better goo!s better ser$i*eswhere a$ailable here" the army *am-s o# these -la*es wherealso more *leaner an! more !e$elo-e! *om-are! to smallerareas%

The *lub is one o# the majorgathering -la*es #or the British% The *lub was a -la*e #or theBritish to ha$e so*ial intera*tion between ea*h other% Therewere s-e*i8* *lubs #or s-e*i8* s-orts some were #or !an*eothers just #or gettogethers% ery #ew o# the *lubs allowe!

n!ian to be members" the n!ian members ha! to be o# $eryhigh *aste an! -osition in the so*iety to be a member o# thebetter *lubs% The *lubs in the bigger *ities su*h as Bombay an!Cal*utta ha! gol# *ourses an! swimming -ools an! groun! to-lay -olo% Club membershi- was $ery e.*lusi$e" not e$eryone*oul! be*ome a member o# any *ub they wante! they ha! toha$e a better -osition in so*iety to be a member at a better*lub" this a--lie! to the British too" army o:*ers where notallowe! in the *lubs su*h as the Bengal *lub% A *lub usually*ontaine! a bar #or the lo*al -eo-le to *ome an! ha$e a !rin(

an! intera*t with ea*h other% These *lubs in the u- *ountry wasless a!$an*e! an! *ontaine! only a bar or just a lawn" but wasstill a integral -art o# the British so*iety%

The !welling o# the British in*lu!e!;!a( Bungalow7 whi*h a go$ernment bungalow" #orestbungalow" the British ma!e these bungalows as similar as they*oul! to the ones in <nglan! an! with interiors #rom <nglan!shi--e! to n!ia% n Bengal an! Assam there were Chungbungalows" whi*h was on -illars to a$oi! the =oo!s% Thebungalows in the larger station were larger an! *ontaine! two

storeye!% The u- *ountry bungalow was usually a mu! bri*(bungalow with high *ool rooms an! a wi!e $eran!ah% The !a(



bungalow were situate! at strategi* -oints throughout the*ountry" they were use! #or o:*ers to stay while they went onins-e*tion% The ol! #orts were *on$erte! into ins-e*tionbungalows as well% There were also ser$ant >uarters in whi*hthe memsahib an! sahib were not allowe!%

Another -art was the military*antonments" whi*h in*lu!e! the mess" where the sol!ierswoul! li$e an! eat an! *arry out there !ay to !ay a*ti$ities%

The sol!iers where restri*te! to the mess an! not allowe! tomo$e outsi!e the *antonments% There were also barra*(s"whi*h were -ermanent houses #or the sol!iers% The worst is*onsi!ere! to be ?hansi" whi*h is one o# the smaller*antonments% There were also hill stations" whi*h in*lu!e!$arious halls" whi*h ha! -ro!u*tions #rom the lo*al -eo-le

!uring the summer when the British *ame to the hill stations% There were s-e*ial P bo.es #or the $i*eroy an! also the*ommissioners%

4ost o# the British that li$e! in n!ia!i!n7t li(e intera*ting with the n!ians% # the <uro-ean werenew he woul! intera*t more with the -eo-le" but as soon as hegot a**ustome! to the -la*e he woul! beha$e the same as theother whites% The British intera*te! with most n!ians who

were their ser$ants' the British usually ga$e them only or!ers% The British ne$er truste! us with their mil( an! their #oo!" thememsahib woul! be -resent when the -erson mil(s the *ow toan! sure there is nothing ba! a!!e! to the mil(% They !ran(only boile! water an! e.er*ise! a lot *ause they thought theywoul! get ill i# they !i!n7t% )ome British -eo-le #oun! the*ustom o# n!ians silly an! mo*(e! them% The otherintera*tions were at the mi.e! *lubs" whi*h where #ew innumber% At su*h *lub the British woul! a*t an! beha$e!i@erently !ue to the -resen*e o# n!ians" as we *onsi!ere!

them to be su-erior they trie! to a*t an! to beha$ea**or!ingly% They ne$er let their guar! !own an! rela.e! i#there was an n!ian with them" this was one o# the reasonswhy they se*lu!e! n!ian #rom joining a *lub% # it was justBritish they *oul! a*t in a more in#ormal #ashion% Ayahs whotoo( *are o# the *hil!ren was li(e a mother to the *hil!ren" theyuse! to s-en! all !ay with her an! the *hil!ren wante! theirayahs instea! i# their mother% A British o:*er who ha! justshi#te! to n!ia was sho*(e! to see a n!ian -asserby saysalaam to him" the British as(e! why he sai! so" the n!ian

sai! that it was a sign o# showing res-e*t% An! that e$eryBritish or higher *aste -erson was to be salaame! by him%



n*e there was a !ea! bir! in the gar!en" the bearer" theswee-er the gar!ener re#use! to -i*( it u- an! tol! to *all a$ery lower *aste Dalit to !o it% The ins-e*ting o:*ers an! there*ruiting -eo-le who went #orm $illage to $illage" #oun! thatthe n!ian -eo-le showe! great hos-itality towar!s them% Theyga$e the o:*er whate$er #oo! they ha! or they ga$e them amassage i# #oo! wasn7t a$ailable% Peo-le who #elt thishos-itality ha! a !i@erent o-inion towar!s n!ia% The Britishha! a -re*e!en*e or!er" whi*h was to be #ollowe! #or $arious#ormal o**asions' it was a list o# the im-ortan*e o# $arious mena**or!ing to their -osts #rom C) to Poli*e ser$i*e an! armywhere gi$en a ran( on the list% All the seating arrangementswere to be !one a**or!ing to this or!er o# -re*e!en*e%

The no$el mentions that at the

railways station they sol! two ty-es o# water &in!ustani -anian! moselmani -ani% This shows that they *onsi!ere! ea*hother7s water to be !i@erent% )u*h was the *on!ition o# n!ia#ull o# *astes an! religious taboo%

All the sol!iers an! the British -eo-lelo$e! -laying s-ort an! was the best -ast time then" the#a$orite was -olo% There woul! be *om-etitions (e-t in all

*antonments an! also there was a ,a!ir *u- hel! #or -olo% Theother s-ort that also in$ol$e! horse ri!ing was -ig sti*(ing" youha! to ri!e a horse an! sti*( a shear in a boar *hargingtowar!s you% This was a !angerous s-ort has the boars were#ast an! in or!er to *at*h them you ha! to ri!e #aster an! thegroun! i# has holes the horse *an tri- an! it *oul! *ause thes-ear to be embe!!e! into the horse or the ri!er% Also i# youmiss a *harging boar it hits you or your horse with shar- teeth"this ma!e the s-ort more e.*iting%

During the summer season the ri*h-eo-le mo$e! to the hill stations to be #ree #rom the heat% Forthose who staye! ba*( it was a long sweaty summer wherethey ha! to wor(% The British wi#e an! *hil!ren generally =e! tothe hill stations in the summer to be away #rom the heat" the$i*eroy an! other im-ortant o:*er also mo$e! to the hillstations an! *arrie! out their wor( #rom their% This meant thatother o:*es also ha! to shi#te! #or the summer% The !ailyroutines *ontinue in the hill station" they also ha! similarhouses there" with the same i*torian #urniture im-orte! #rom

<nglan!% During this time there woul! be regular !inner -artiesan! !an*e -arties whi*h woul! (ee- them away #rom bore!om%



The major hill stations were )himla" Dalhousie" 4ussorie" et*%a#ter the summer the monsoon *ame whi*h brought tem-oraryrelie# o# them as the rains use! to =oo! the bungalows% Therewere also the thousan!s o# inse*ts that *ame with the rains%

This lea! to a lot a !iseases in the rainy season an! until mi!*tober the rains *ontinue!% A#ter *tober the tem-eraturega$e the British the relie# they nee!e!% The *ol! weather wasthe season o# s-ort an! tra$el% They use! to enjoy it% They ha!an army an! na$y *atalogue through whi*h they or!er #orChristmas in *tober #rom <nglan!% The Christmas s-irits werealways high e$en in this *ountry%

The author Charles Allen is a writerborn in n!ia to an Anglo n!ian #amily" sin*e the author ha!

strong *onne*tions to the British" as he stu!ie! there% An! alsohis #amily ser$e! the British #or si. generations% This a**or!ingto me lea! to him thin(ing that the n!ian !i! this tothemsel$es an! lea! to the British to rule o$er n!ia" an! theirrule ha! *hanger n!ia #or the better% n *ontrast to the otherthing son the boo( the last *ha-ter says that the British werenothing but moneylen!ers there to earn money #orm n!ia bye.-loiting the illiterate%

The author says that the British raj inn!ia ha! its in!ire*t bene8ts it ga$e us a gal$ani* im-ulse an!

belie# in the nee! #or -rogress% But the British raj also ha! itstoll it le#t n!ia in a rut" !i$i!e! an! le#t n!ia in hunger an!-o$erty%

This boo( a**or!ing to me gi$es me a!ee-er un!erstan!ing o# the British rule an! the *on!ition o#n!ia the $arious thoughts o# the British an! their style o# li$inghow they were -oor in <nglan! but when they *ame to n!iathey *oul! a@or! the la$ish li#e with a big house #ull o#ser$ants% For the British raj the jewel o# n!ia was the

a$ailability o# *hea- labor" whi*h lea! to e.-loitation o# li#e an!resour*es in n!ia%

plain tales from the raj

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