Empire Made : My Search for an Outlaw Uncle Who Vanished in British India

The shadowy story of a nineteenth-century English gentleman who went to India and dramatically cut all ties to home, forming a relationship with a local Muslim man In 1841 at the age of twenty, Nigel Halleck set out for Calcutta as a clerk in the service of the East India Company. But he didn't settle into a long life as a bureaucrat during the Raj. After eight years serving in the name of empire, Nigel abruptly left the Company under a cloud and disappeared, stoking a family mystery that would reverberate through generations. Kief Hillsbery, Nigel's nephew many times removed, spent decades researching and traveling in his long-lost relation's footsteps in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nepal. He initially set out to solve the question of his family's black sheep, only to find a fascinating slice of hidden gay history. He discovered evidence of Nigel living happily with a Muslim companion, an exiled Afghan prince, as a permanent houseguest of a highborn... Lost In Time For Generations, The Story Of A 19th-century English Gentleman In British India--a Family Mystery Of Love Found And Loyalties Abandoned, Finally Brought To Light. In 1841, Twenty-year-old Nigel Halleck Set Out For Calcutta As A Clerk In The East India Company. He Went On To Serve In The Colonial Administration For Eight Years Before Abruptly Leaving The Company Under A Cloud And Disappearing In The Mountain Kingdom Of Nepal, Never To Be Heard From Again. While Most Traces Of His Life Were Destroyed In The Bombing Of His Hometown During World War Ii, Nigel Was Never Quite Forgotten--the Myth Of The Man Who Headed East Would Reverberate Through Generations Of His Family. Kief Hillsbery, Nigel's Nephew Many Times Removed, Embarked On His Own Expedition, Spending Decades Researching And Traveling Through India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, And Nepal In The Footsteps Of His Long-lost Relation. In Uncovering The Remarkable Story Of Nigel's Life, Hillsbery Beautifully Renders A Moment In Time When The Arms Of The British Empire Extended Around The World. Both A Powerful History And A Personal Journey, Empire Made Weaves Together A Clash Of Civilizations, The Quest To Discover One's Own Identity, And The Moving Tale Of One Man Against An Empire.--jacket. An Empire -- An Education -- Margalla Pass -- A Passage -- A Griffin -- Ghazipur -- A Safe And Prudent Distance -- A Mosque -- An Asiatic Rome -- Patna -- A Folly -- A Policeman -- A Christian Soldier -- Gulzarbagh -- A Conquest -- A Peace -- Bankipore -- A War -- A Giant -- A Crossing -- Chandragiri -- A Maharaja -- Kathmandu -- A Prince -- A Welcome -- A Showcase -- Tipling -- A Lark -- A Mutiny -- Rosi Bagh -- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa -- Lal Durbar -- Now Is The Waiting -- Stars Of Tears. Kief Hillsbery. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 255-259). Lost in time for generations, the story of a 19th-century English gentleman in British India#8212;a family mystery of love found and loyalties abandoned, finally brought to light In 1841, twenty-year-old Nigel Halleck set out for Calcutta as a clerk in the East India Company. He went on to serve in the colonial administration for eight years before abruptly leaving the company under a cloud and disappearing in the mountain kingdom of Nepal, never to be heard from again. While most traces of his life were destroyed in the bombing of his hometown during World War II, Nigel was never quite forgotten#8212;the myth of the man who headed East would reverberate through generations of his family. Kief Hillsbery, Nigel's nephew many times removed, embarked on his own expedition, spending decades researching and traveling through India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nepal in the footsteps of his long-lost relation. In uncovering the remarkable story of Nigel's life, Hillsbery beautifully renders a moment in time when the arms of the British Empire extended around the world. Both a powerful history and a personal journey, Empire Made weaves together a clash of civilizations, the quest to discover one's own identity, and the moving tale of one man against an empire The shadowy story of Nigel Halleck, a nineteenth-century English gentleman who went to India in the era of empire and dramatically cut all ties to home, forming a relationship with a local Muslim man