An Era of Darkness

British rule in India is still described in some accounts as a net benefit, complete with railways and the rule of law. Shashi Tharoor takes that claim apart using economic figures, administrative record and a considerable amount of argument. The book examines the decline of Indian manufacturing under Company and Crown, famine policy, revenue extraction, the actual purpose of colonial infrastructure, and the political fragmentation that followed. Tharoor writes in the register of a debater, marshalling sources and confronting the standard defences one at a time, which makes the material accessible without softening any of it. What sets the pace: • A point-by-point response to arguments defending colonial rule • Economic, administrative and cultural consequences examined together • Extensive citation paired with a direct, argumentative style • An Aleph edition of a widely discussed history title For readers of colonial history, politics and South Asian studies, available from Boipoka.