Description
Book SynopsisDanna Agmon''s gripping microhistory is a vivid guide to the Nayiniyappa Affair in the French colony of Pondicherry, India. The surprising and shifting fates of Nayiniyappa and his family form the basis of this story of global mobilization, which is replete with merchants, missionaries, local brokers, government administrators, and even the French royal family.
Agmon''s compelling account draws readers into the social, economic, religious, and political interactions that defined the European colonial experience in India and elsewhere. Her portrayal of imperial sovereignty in France''s colonies as it played out in the life of one beleaguered family allows readers to witness interactions between colonial officials and locals.
Thanks to generous funding from Virginia Tech and its participation in TOME, the ebook editions of this book are available as Open Access volumes from Cornell Open (cornellpress.cornell.edu/cornell-open) and other repositories.
Trade ReviewRevisiting an often forgotten scandal in an obscure corner of France's eighteenth-century empire—the Nayiniyappa Affair and Pondichéry, respectively—Agmon draws our attention to the shifting dynamic of conflict and collaboration that underlay the French imperial project in India. The result is a valuable reminder of the contested nature of early modern colonial power, all set against a compelling backdrop of personal tragedy and posthumous redemption.... [C]ompellingly argued and beautifully written.
* H-France Reviews *
Because Agmon has carefully, cogently, and insightfully analyzed the events and significance of Nayiniyappa's trial, readers might find themselves impelled to read A Colonial Affair from cover to cover at one sitting!
* International Bulletin of Mission Research *
Agmon's prose is sophisticated, clear and flowing, and she successfully guides the reader through all of the affair's complexities.
* French Review *
Danna Agmon peels back the layers of this fascinating series of events with consummate skill; she has the sure touch of a historian whose confidence is well earned.... As with any microhistory, the ultimate test is whether the story told opens new perspectives on broader themes. By this criterion, Agmon has passed with flying colors.
* Journal of Modern History *
This book is strong on the internal tensions of early French rule in India.... Agmon ably conveys the sense of a transitional period between a relationship of commercial equals [between the French and indigenous intermediaries] to one of colonial master and servant.... [A] welcome addition to the history of French India [and]... a fascinating glimpse into an early French colonial period when Catholic conversion was the stamp of trust.
* American Historical Review *
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
The Actors
Introduction
Part One
1. The Elusive Origins of a Colonial Scandal
2. Kinship as Politics
Part Two
3. The Denial of Language
4. Conflict at Court
Part Three
5. Between Paris and Pondichéry
6. Archiving the Affair
Epilgoue
Notes
Index
