Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Imperial Britain
Spring 2006
In a Dandy
For the British residing in India in the nineteenth and twentieth century, there was often a
great deal of ambiguity relating their feelings about living in a far-away land and
similarly in leaving India. In Empire Families: Britons and Late Imperial India, Elizabeth
records, letters, fiction from the period and official government records. Buettner
attempts to separate the reality from the facade for the British while in India, those they
leave behind, and the issues with life after their service is over. Children’s experiences
and reminiscences of their time in India are central to the book. The thinkers of the late
nineteenth and early twentieth century encouraged children to be removed from India
after puberty and educated in a more ‘hospitable’ climate. Overall, it seems there was a
class of people who felt most at home on a steamship traveling between India and Britain
with sentimental attractions to each that grew stronger once away. The book concludes
with an examination of recent trends and the British attempt to reshape their past.
Doctors regularly advised against children remaining in India because of the harsh
climate. However, ‘experts’ also warned against the “intimate exposure to indigenous
society and customs (p. 39)” which could damage the child. Racism was clearly evident
in the negotiations with Indians and the science upheld such racist beliefs. Though there
was a strong preference for British or European nannies, supply and demand left only the
wealthiest able to do afford them. Many children developed deep and meaningful
connections with their caretakers, even learning bits of their language (page 42). It seems
the journey back ‘home’ from India was a way to prove they are not part of the
Schools were a tool of the British, class-based system. Those who traveled by steamship
back to Britain, “enhanced their foothold among the transient British community (p.
109).” Obviously the parents felt their status depended on the journey, how did the
children feel about the trip? Buettner is quick to emphasize the problems with
recollections from an adult perspective. She quotes Kipling’s miserable tales about a boy
in the care of his rotten Aunty Rosa (p. 123). Buettner claims that ‘Baa Baa, Black
Sheep’ was the standard for comparison by numerous other transient children (p. 125).
While children were away, families communicated via letter. Most of the samples
presented in the book seem extremely measured as if following a template. Issues of the
day are discussed but deep feelings seem somewhat masked. Buettner questions whether
the extant letters are unrepresentative of the true feelings of the time and conjectures that
other letters might reflect ‘weaker bonds’ among family members (p.139). Perhaps one
day a secret cache of letters will be found hidden somewhere and it will revolutionize the
Personally, the book shines when the historical documents such as letters and
photographs are displayed. At times the reader can get lost in the trees and ignore the
forest. Details about the fees for boarding schools became quite tedious. The book is
also weakened, in my opinion, by not making clear what British families did while in
India. I had a sense that some men made close bonds with Indians and left for long
periods hunting but the day to day activities should have been better presented, if
possible. The picture of the “Child in a Dandy” surrounded by five servants is a powerful
photograph.
After their nebulous service in India was over, many sought out Indian-British
communities in London. Indians were sought out to speak with and reminisce about
India. English servants complained about shabby treatment from ex-colonial officials.
Many ended up retiring in Africa or Canada after feeling like second-class citizens in
Britain.
The children from such adventures are still alive and able to tell their stories. In the
conclusion, Buettner clearly comes out against the view of the British Empire as an
overwhelmingly positive endeavor, though some try to make it seem that way. There will
obviously be many histories written about the subject but Buettner concludes that
historians will keep trying to write the truthful version. Empire Families is a scholarly,
well documented look at a group of people who spent their lives chasing an idealized,
The book, however, is targeted at specialists and in spite of the fascinating topic, will