Overview:

Cohn’s  introduction chapter tells us that he researched on the British conquest over India in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. His point was to inform how the British conquered an unknown territory that holds an epistemological space. Though it was an unknown to the British, they were confident that they will make the unknown known. The first obvious thing that need to be done was to learn the language and because this was a priority the first educational institutions that the British established in India was to teach their own official the language. Through language the world of India became open to them because now they are able to learn the history and culture that can help them become more established within the country. And a way to obtain the knowledge would be through investigative modalities. Some of the modalities used were historiographic, observational/travel, survey, enumerative, museological, and surveillance. Through these modalities information was gathered, ordered and classified. When it is gathered it is put into reports, statistical returns, histories, legal codes, etc. it is easier for one to look up the information. This reading relates to the general topic of colonialism/imperialism/empire because Great Britain was known to be growing in imperial power and it was because of the conquest of India where they gained the largest and most important colony. This tells us that throughout history if one wishes to obtain any sort of power they will need an important ally and what best way to gain this ally then through conquering them.

Keywords:

1. Investigative modality: definition of a body of information that is needed.
2. Epistemological space: a place where culture and history is deep within its roots.
3. Important colony: something India was to British that help them gain imperial power

Argument:

“In coming to India, they unknowingly and unwittingly invaded and conquered not only a territory but an epistemological space as well. The ‘facts’ of this space did not exactly correspond to those of the invaders. Nevertheless, the British believed they could explore and conquer this space through translation: establishing correspondence could make the unknown and the strange knowable.” (Cohn, 4)

Evidence:

To make the unknown known the first step is to learn the local language, which consist of “Classical” Persian, Arabic, and Sanskrit. Afterwards the British used investigative modalities that help define a body of information that is needed. Cohn gives us examples of some of the different modalities used. by looking at these modalities I think it help put together information needed to understand about India. For example, the historiographic modality is there to gather information about India’s history which is valuable in helping British understand how to build the colonial state base on their history and practices.

Historiographical Debate:

The author does not explicitly situate himself in a wider scholarly debate in the text.

Contribution to Our Understanding of Colonial Rule

From the previous reading we learned what colonialism and imperialism is. Colonialism was when one nation assumes control over another while imperialism was when one nation gain control politically or economically and expanding into neighboring regions. This assigned text contributed more to what we learned by going into detail on how Great Britain was in the process of emerging as an imperial power. They are on that road all because of the largest and most important colony, India. Because they conquered this territory they had to make what was unknown about this place known to them in order to stay in control.

Overview:

This reading was about the making of the laws that the people should be following. It was during the seventeenth century where the emergence of the East India Company occurred. During this time the East India Company had control over the financial resources of Bengal and part of south India. Though they had control they did not have a concrete way to collect revenue in India. They tried to establish a way of collecting where the foreign rulers get their share of the surplus of agricultural production. They tried to do it the British way but it ended up badly and caused a horrendous famine. Because of this famine the British realized they needed someone to oversee things and set the policies straight. The person they decided to bring in was Warren Hastings, who was suppose to place the governance of the Bengal territories on a stable footing. Most saw India as “a place that was lawless and want to instill British law. But Hasting argued that British law was too technical, too complicated and not appropriate for India. He believed the “ancient constitution” of Bengal was still intact. So he decided to compile texts of Hindu law that can be translated into English. Though translations were made, by the time Sir William Jones started his judicial career in India, he deemed them to be defective. From then he decided to learn Sanskrit in order to see first hand the text and therefore allowing the Hindu law to remain pure. Jones knows that British law was more superior but it wouldn’t help and cause negative effects, therefore it would be better to keep the “old  Mogul constitution.” His goal was to restore India its laws, which pre-dated the Islamic invasions. But what Colebrooke found after succeeding Jones was that the texts complied was defective because there are different schools of Hindu law. In the end, English law became the law of India due to a reform of the judicial system in 1864.

Keywords:

1. Despotic: arbitrary rule.
2. East India Company: a major territorial power in India.
3. Collector: term made by Hasting to indicate someone who would have a mix of executive and judicial powers in a defined area.

Argument:
“Debate centered on the question of whether a private company that was exercising state functions could do so on the basis of royal grants and charters. When responsibilities did such a private company have for the well-being and prosperity of its subjects?” (Cohn, 58)

Evidence:
Everything proceeding the argument was evidence. From stating Hasting and Jones’ work done in India to ensure law was fair to the people in India to how it came to an end was evidence enough in what a private company in India can do to effect the country. It is reliable in  the stand point of the judicial side of the country because there needs to be law in order to maintain order.

Historiographical Debate:

I am not sure how the author is situating himself in a wider scholarly debate.

Contribution To Our Understanding Of Colonial Rule:

In trying to establish a stronger hold onto India the British wants to enforce their own law to make it easier. However with others thinking it will be better to follow the laws India held it will bring favor to the British. As proven that Britain was in imperial power when they established East India Company in India who was loyal to the Crown. This company held political and economical power over India. But just because they held power it wouldn’t mean much because things needed to be done to further their control over India.