Description
Book SynopsisAnnexation and the Unhappy Valley: The Historical Anthropology of Sindh’s Colonization addresses the nineteenth century expansion and consolidation of British colonial power in the Sindh region of South Asia. It adopts an interdisciplinary approach and employs a fine-grained, nuanced and situated reading of multiple agents and their actions. It explores how the political and administrative incorporation of territory (i.e., annexation) by East India Company informs the conversion of intra-cultural distinctions into socio-historical conflicts among the colonized and colonizers. The book focuses on colonial direct rule, rather than the more commonly studied indirect rule, of South Asia. It socio-culturally explores how agents, perspectives and intentions vary—both within and across regions—to impact the actions and structures of colonial governance.
Trade Review'Annexation and the Unhappy Valley represents what can be achieved when anthropologists turn their critical inter-disciplinary eye on the past. [...] it contributes hugely to our collective grasp of a key turning-point in Sindh’s history, as well as offering historians additional theoretical models and approaches with which to enhance their own disciplinary methodologies.' Sarah Ansari (Royal Holloway, University of London), in: South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal, Online since 10 March 2017. URL: http://samaj.revues.org/4287. 'Today, only a few scholars can match Cook’s depth of knowledge when it comes to this, often overlooked, research field and his monograph is a crucial step for us to understand Sindh’s past and present. Notwithstanding somewhat technical parts, the author’s effort to link the plane of colonial decision making in the 19th century with the particular circumstances of the individual actors involved renders the book an intriguing read. In the Appendix, Cook speaks about this methodological decision when he emphasizes the importance of the “situatedness” of his historical sources. His historical-anthropological methodology (visible in the book’s title) not only allows deep insights into the protagonists’ complex life-worlds but also yields a capturing read.' Jürgen Schaflechner (Heidelberg University), Itinerario, Vol. 42, No. 3 (2018), pp. 557-559, doi:10.1017/S0165115318000694
Table of ContentsGeneral Editor’s Foreword ... viii A Note on the Spelling of Sindh ... xi Cast of Characters and Glossary ... xii Illustrations ... xvi Acknowledgements ... xxiv Introduction ... 1 1 Merchants and the East India Company in Sindh ... 21 2 Conspiracy and Military-Fiscalism ... 69 3 Just Governance and Colonial Violence ... 133 4 Court Over Board ... 180 Afterword ... 224 Appendix: Anthropology, Context and Archives ... 229 Bibliography ... 241 Index ... 255
