The Tears of the Rajas: Mutiny, Money and Marriage in India 1805-1905 by Ferdinand MountMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Historical transgenerational narrative of four families – incestuous to a degree – whose fortunes were inextricably linked to the Indian sub-continent from Mughal times to pre-Independent India. The four families were the Lows, Metcalfes, Shakepears (sic) and the Thackerays (including the famous novelist). They lived, ruled, made and lost their fortunes, fought (massacring innocents as vengeance against the imagined perpetrators of the first war of Independence – labelled by them as the Mutiny of 1857), exploited the natives, raped, looted the country, married, raised families, fell sick and died. The tone adopted is racist to the marrow initially but later is less biased
What they governed was still an empire of white men over black men, and one that relied on harsh and swift, though seldom arbitrary, punishment to keep the peace.
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