Race, Religion and Law in Colonial India: Trials of an Interracial FamilyHow did British rule in India transform persons from lower social classes? Could Indians from such classes rise in the world by marrying Europeans and embracing their religion and customs? This book explores such questions by examining the intriguing story of an interracial family who lived in southern India in the mid-nineteenth century. The family, which consisted of two untouchable brothers, both of whom married Eurasian women, became wealthy as distillers in the local community. A family dispute resulted in a landmark court case, Abraham v. Abraham. Chandra Mallampalli uses this case to examine the lives of those involved, and shows that far from being products of a 'civilizing mission' who embraced the ways of Englishmen, the Abrahams were ultimately - when faced with the strictures of the colonial legal system - obliged to contend with hierarchy and racial difference. |
Contents
1 | |
1 Remembering Family | 25 |
2 Embodying Dorahood | 51 |
3 A Crisis of Trust | 79 |
4 Letters from Cambridge | 100 |
5 The Path to Litigation | 129 |
6 Litigating Gender and Race | 149 |
Other editions - View all
Race, Religion and Law in Colonial India: Trials of an Interracial Family Chandra Mallampalli No preview available - 2011 |
Race, Religion and Law in Colonial India: Trials of an Interracial Family Chandra Mallampalli No preview available - 2015 |
Common terms and phrases
abkari Abkari Contract Abraham brothers Abraham family accounts arrack barrister Bellary District Bellary District Court Bellary’s Bremner British caste chapter Charles to Francis Charlotte Abraham Charlotte and Francis Charlotte’s Chouriah civil claimed Colonial India Company Company’s converts cultural customs Daniel Vincent dated Bellary Dayabhaga decree Deposition of Plaintiff’s distillery Dora dress East Indian England English law European family’s father Francis Abraham Francis to Charles Francis's Frederick Seymour Government Hindoo Hindu law Ibid identity Indian society instance Islamic joint family judges Judicial Committee Kingsdown Kurnool letter liquor London Madras marriage Matthew Abraham Matthew and Francis Matthew's death Mayne Middle Temple Mitakshara mofussil Moideen mother Muslim Naidu Nawab pandits paraiyar personal law plaintiffs pleader Privy Council Protestant Protestantism question Rasul Rasul Khan religion religious residing at Bellary role Roman Catholic rupees Sadr Adalat social South India status Tamil Testimony of Charlotte undivided brother undivided families vakils Venkapa witnesses