Reconsidering the Raj

Reconsidering the Raj

A lecture series on British India presented by  the British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia

Tuesday 6 March

Afghanistan: Britain ‘s Imperial Misadventures

It is often overlooked that Britain ‘s most recent military involvement in Afghanistan is the fourth in a string of conflicts dating back to the nineteenth century. Determined to safeguard British India ‘s borders, the British fought three campaigns on Afghan territory between 1838 and 1919. The Anglo-Afghan wars of the 19th and early 20th centuries resulted in some of the worst military calamities ever sustained by the Raj in this part of the world. In the first war alone, a column of 16,000 soldiers and civilians was annihilated on the retreat from Kabul. Jules Stewart ‘s talk looks at the lack of understanding of Afghanistan and its people that led to disaster and considers the lessons to be learnt.

Jules Stewart is  author of  On Afghanistan ‘s Plains, The Savage Border  and five other books on Afghanistan and the North West Frontier.

Tuesday 10 April

Independence & Partition

A panel discussion on Independence and Partition featuring Professor Joya Chatterji (University of Cambridge) focusing on India, Dr Farzana Shaikh (Chatham House) focusing on Pakistan, Professor Ian Talbot (University of Southampton) focusing on Britain and Victoria Schofield as moderator.*

*Joya Chatterji is author of  The Spoils of Partition,  The Bengal Diaspora  and  Bengal Divided. She is Professor of South Asian History and Director of the Centre for South Asian Studies at Cambridge.

Farzana Sheikh is author of  Making Sense of Pakistan  and is a specialist in the regional politics of South Asia. She is a former research fellow in Politics at Clare Hall, Cambridge.

Victoria Schofield’s works include  Kashmir in Conflict,  Afghan Frontier, Wavell: Soldier and Statesman  and  Bhutto: Trial and Execution.

Ian Talbot is author of  Pakistan: A New History,  The Independence of India and Pakistan,  The Partition of India  and many others. He is Professor of Modern British History at Southampton.

6-8.30pm, Wolfson Conference Room 1, Institute of Historical Research, Senate House, Malet Street, Bloomsbury WC1E 7HU

Tickets £7.50  include wine reception ( £5 BACSA members)  

Booking online:  see  http://www.bacsa.org.uk/?page_id=2043

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