This Inscrutable Englishman
Sir John d'Oyly, Baronet, 1774-1824
Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd.
Published on 1. June 1999
Book
Paperback/Softback
356 pages
978-0-304-70095-0 (ISBN)
Description
Sir John d'Oyly (1774-1824) accomplished in 1815, through shrewd diplomacy and the creation of an efficient intelligence network, the peaceful annexation on behalf of the British Crown of Sri Lanka's fiercely independent mountain kingdom of Kandy. Yet, in the press, d'Oyly voluntarily exchanged the prospect of further honours for permanent exile. Was he merely the Crown's "obedient servant", constructing a blueprint for British imperial domination or had he permitted himself to dream a romantic dream? This study of d'Oyly's conduct, motives and seemingly contradictory personality, set against the background of a feudal Asian state catapulted by colonization into a 19th century dominated by Eurocentric concepts of morality and oriental" exoticism, and by utilitarian notions of civilization, aims to unravel the cultural and psychological implications of colonial rule for both colonizer and subject.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
8 colour and 18 b&w
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 153 mm
Weight
529 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-304-70095-0 (9780304700950)
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Schweitzer Classification
Content
Cultured generations; 1801-1805 - harbours of our choice; Enjoying the good things of the age; proud towers - the road to Kandy; 1805-1810 - the noblest chase in the world; 1811-1815 - obedient servant; 1815 - a common bond of peace; 1816-1817- translating the nation; 1818-1821 - madness of war; 1822-1824 - d'Oyly of Kandy; omne solum forti patria.