Pride and Prejudice
Anglo-Indians and racial attitudes in India
1857-1920
Erik Vellinga (114344)
Department of History and Arts
Erasmus University Rotterdam
August 1994
E-mail: erik.vellinga@unilever.com
vellinga@rulfsw.fsw.LeidenUniv.nl
Contents................................................................................................................Page
Acknowledgements.
Introduction........................................................................................................…1
Purpose of this research 3
Sources and methodology 4
1. Racism in Indian society.................................................................................….8
1.1-The Mutiny; a turning point in British-Indian relations 8
1.2-The 'White Mutiny'; The Ilbert Bill and its response 11
1.3-Sexual relations, European women and racial discrimination 12
1.4-Racism in relation to imperialism 14
1.5-A meeting on equal terms; racism and the Indian elite 15
1.6-The troublesome minorities 17
1.7-Anglo-Indians and/or Domiciled Europeans? 22
2. History of the Anglo-Indian community......................…................................26
2.1-Introduction 26
2.2-The first period; 1500-1785 26
2.3-The second period; 1785-1857 27
2.4-The third period; 1857-1920 28
2.5-The fourth period; 1920-1994 30
3. The selfperception of Anglo-Indians.........................................................….33
3.1-Introduction 33
3.2-Anglo-Indians and the Ilbert Bill 34
3.3-What shall we call ourselves? 35
3.4-The Colour Bar 38
3.5-Religion 39
3.5.1-Roman Catholics and Anglicans 40
3.5.2-Christianity as an 'Indian' argument 41
3.6-The economic position of Anglo-Indians 42
3.6.1-The Government's responsibility 42
3.6.2-Anglo-Indian regiments 45
3.6.3-The Indian Civil Service and the 'lines of communication' 49
3.6.4-Colonisation and the housing problem 52
3.6.5-Anglo-Indian education 54
3.7-Unity in disunity 56
4. The Anglo-Indian vision on other communities...........................................…59
4.1-Europeans through the eyes of Anglo-Indians 59
4.2-Indians through the eyes of Anglo-Indians 61
4.3-What about Native Christians? 63
Conclusions...........................................................................................................66
Bibliography..........................................................................................................73