The Raj at War: A People’s History of India’s Second World War

The Second World War was not fought by Britain, but by the British Empire. In The Raj at War Yasmin Khan has revived the many lost voices of the war fought by India, at home and abroad, creating a rich portrait of a continent at war, told by the many Indian soldiers and civilians whose lives were upturned by war. The non-combatants, the lascars, the prostitutes, nurses, refugees and peasants. We hear from- - Three soldiers, imprisoned as 'traitors to the Raj', released to a hero's welcome - A small Muslim boy arrested in Lahore for singing anti-recruitment songs - The cooks on board army boats, preparing chapattis on petrol burners on deck amidst howling gales - The family huddled round the wireless listening to German radio broadcasts, with the shutters closed and a servant keeping guard - The first Indian soldier to receive the Victoria cross, Premindra Bhagat, writing to his sweetheart Mohini. It is a narrative of loyalty and rebellion, oppression and protection. India did indeed come to the aid of its colonial master, but it was the wartime transformation of India that ultimately led to Indian independence and the partition of the subcontinent, as the Raj unravelled under the pressure of war.

About the Author :
Yasmin Khan is a British writer and historian. She is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Kellogg College. Her first book, The Great Partition- the Making of India and Pakistan, won the Gladstone Prize from the Royal Historical Society in 2007 and was longlisted for the Orwell Prize in 2008.

Review :
Exceptional...balances analysis, history and human compassion in a narrative that leaves one shaken Almost impossible to put down The Second World War is one of the most written-about episodes in all world history: every month sees a dozen new titles published. Yet, astonishingly, The Raj at War breaks new ground on almost every page A striking example of people’s history, packed with anecdotes, memories and information about a shared but largely unwritten global past Unprecedented in scope...rich both in detail and in its unique insights... Khan's history has paved the way for a more complex understanding of the Second World War as India's War A fascinating, vividly written history full of surprises, some of them shocking Yasmin Khan...offers a richly researched social history of wartime India that is peppered with fascinating detail Remarkable Account… Compassionate, judicious and brilliantly readable, this is a compelling account of a dramatic, but little examined, aspect of history This fascinating book tells the story of World War Two's impact on India: the shattering of the ordered relations which underpinned the Raj making its end inevitable. It's also a much needed reminder of India's contribution to that war This fascinating book tells the story of World War Two's impact on India: the shattering of the ordered relations which underpinned the Raj making its end inevitable. It's also a much needed reminder of India's contribution to that war