Race, Religion and Law in Colonial India: Trials of an Interracial Family (Cambridge Studies in Indian History and Society, Series Number 19)

"Through a landmark court case in mid-nineteenth century colonial India, this book investigates hierarchy and racial difference in the British encounter with Indian society"-- "How did British rule in India transform persons from lower social classes? Could Indians from such classes rise in the world by marrying Europeans and embracing their religion and customs? This book explores such questions by examining the intriguing story of an interracial family who lived in southern India in the mid-nineteenth century. The family, which consisted of two untouchable brothers, both of whom married Eurasian women, became wealthy as distillers in the local community. When one brother died, a dispute arose between his wife and brother over family assets, which resulted in a landmark court case, Abraham v. Abraham. It is this case which is at the center of this book, and which Chandra Mallampalli uses to examine the lives of those involved and, by extension, of those - 271 witnesses in all - who testified. In its multilayered approach, the book sheds light not only on interracial marriage, class, religious allegiance, and gender, but also on the British encounter with Indian society. It shows that far from being products of a "civilizing mission" who embraced the ways of Englishmen, the Abrahams were ultimately - when faced with the strictures of the colonial legal system - obliged to contend with hierarchy and racial difference"-- Race, Religion, and Law in Colonial India 2 Cambridge Studies in Indian History and Society, No. 19 4 Title 6 Copyright 7 amma-ki 8 Contents 10 Maps and Figures 12 Acknowledgments 14 Glossary 18 Introduction 20 FROM CURRY POT TO SALAD BOWL 29 CHAPTERS 42 1 Remembering Family 44 BELLARY’S BAZAAR WORKERS 46 THE EARLY YEARS 56 CHARLOTTE FOX AND THE PLATCHERS 61 CONCLUSION 68 2 Embodying “Dora-hood” The Brothers and Their Business 70 ACQUIRING SKILL AND WEALTH 73 THE DISTILLERY’S PEDDA DORA 80 AFTER MATTHEW 92 CONCLUSION 96 3 A Crisis of Trust Sedition and the Sale of Arms in Kurnool 98 THE SIEGE OF KURNOOL 100 MATTHEW’S KURNOOL AGENCY 105 CONCLUSION 117 4 Letters from Cambridge 119 SITUATING CHARLES HENRY ABRAHAM 120 LEAVING HOME 124 IN NEED OF AN ALLY 133 CHARLES RESPONDS 139 CONCLUSION 146 5 The Path to Litigation 148 SETTING THE STAGE FOR A SHOWDOWN 150 A NATIVE PLEADER DEFINES WHITENESS 157 CONCLUSION 167 6 Litigating Gender and Race Charlotte Sues at Bellary 168 CONVERSION AND ASSIMILATION 169 BECOMING AN EAST INDIAN 178 SUBORDINATING FRANCIS 185 FRANCIS EXPLOITS HIS CATHOLIC ROOTS 188 FRANCIS AND THE ABRAHAM HOUSEHOLD 195 THE DECISIONS AT BELLARY 198 CONCLUSION 201 7 Francis Appeals The Case for Cultural Continuity 203 HINDU LAW AND THE SADR ADALAT 205 PANDITS, TEXTS, AND WOMEN 211 PLEADERS AND PROCEEDINGS 219 THE DECREE 223 CONCLUSION 231 8 Choice, Identity, and Law The Decision of London’s Privy Council 233 PERSONAL LAW AT THE MARGINS 235 THE DECREE OF ABRAHAM V. ABRAHAM 247 CONCLUSION 257 Conclusion 260 Bibliography 268 Archives Consulted 268 Law Series, Journals, and Newspapers Consulted 268 Records of Abraham v. Abraham 268 Printed Primary Sources 269 Secondary Sources 271 Index 282 "How did British rule in India transform persons from lower social classes? Could Indians from such classes rise in the world by marrying Europeans and embracing their religion and customs? This book explores such questions by examining the intriguing story of an interracial family who lived in southern India in the mid-nineteenth century. The family, which consisted of two untouchable brothers, both of whom married Eurasian women, became wealthy as distillers in the local community. When one brother died, a dispute arose between his wife and brother over family assets, which resulted in a landmark court case, Abraham v. Abraham. It is this case which is at the center of this book, and which Chandra Mallampalli uses to examine the lives of those involved and, by extension, of those - 271 witnesses in all - who testified. In its multilayered approach, the book sheds light not only on interracial marriage, class, religious allegiance, and gender, but also on the British encounter with Indian society. It shows that far from being products of a "civilizing mission" who embraced the ways of Englishmen, the Abrahams were ultimately - when faced with the strictures of the colonial legal system - obliged to contend with hierarchy and racial difference"-- Provided by publisher How did British rule in India transform persons from lower social classes? Could Indians from such classes rise in the world by marrying Europeans and embracing their religion and customs? This book explores such questions by examining the intriguing story of an interracial family who lived in southern India in the mid-nineteenth century. The family, which consisted of two untouchable brothers, both of whom married Eurasian women, became wealthy as distillers in the local community. A family dispute resulted in a landmark court case, Abraham v. Abraham. Chandra Mallampalli uses this case to examine the lives of those involved, and shows that far from being products of a 'civilizing mission' who embraced the ways of Englishmen, the Abrahams were ultimately - when faced with the strictures of the colonial legal system - obliged to contend with hierarchy and racial difference.