Book Review: An Era of Darkness by Shashi Tharoor

In the summer of 2015 at Oxford Shashi Tharoor delivered a speech on the topic: ‘Britain Owes Reparations to Her Former Colonies’. The book ‘An Era of Darkness’ is the extension of that speech. The video of this speech went viral through chatting apps and social media platforms. In the speech Tharoor demanded that the British must seek apology from India for its 200-year misrule in the country. Well, in 18th century, India’s contribution to world economy was well up to 23 percent and by the time India got independence the contribution was as low as 3 percent.

Actuated by the interest thus generated, Shashi Tharoor embarked upon the book and charted the British rule from its victory in Plassey, to its steady procurement of provinces, Sepoy Mutiny, the nation rising for independence, the Empire’s shenanigans in partitioning the country, and finally, the independence that was paid in blood. He writes eloquently about how the British intensified the  country’s caste divide; how they played the divide and rule game thereby heightening the Hindu-Muslim discord; how their sole interest in the India venture was profits, fat pensions and not integration or a better society, as many colonists claimed; how the laying of rails, introduction of press, democracy, the parliamentary system, English education were all a means to further their goals of strengthening their rule in India without any care for social elevation and progress; how they systematically looted India and turned it from a glittering jewel to a third world country in two centuries.

The book, however, doesn’t talk about the role Indians played in bringing about their own defeat; about the infighting between rulers, nobles; about internal politics, betrayals, etc. Hence the book should be taken as one stance on the British empire in India, and not, the complete history.

Written in the unique Shashi-Tharoor style and language, all the arguments are backed with data and research. It is not a light read, since the book is full of long passages and at times bit repetitive. The book will definitely add new perspectives about colonial India, and will help readers to understand the complex socio-cultural and political landscape of that era.