Courting India

An amazing historical book that gives us insight on soo many great historical figures and events in India. James I's first ambassador to the Mughal Empire, Thomas Roe, came in India in 1616 at a time when the English had only just begun to establish themselves in the region. They had a rudimentary understanding of South Asian trade and India, and the Mughals saw them as tiny players on an enormous stage. Roe was speaking for a country that was struggling financially and was torn over its identity as a single "Great Britain" under the Stuart dynasty. The Indian court he entered was prosperous and cultured, and it belonged to one of the biggest and richest empires in history. In her captivating account of Roe's four years in India, Nandini Das provides an insider's perspective of a Britain in the great country of India.

In "Courting India," Nandini Das offers a fresh and unique perspective on the relationship between England and India during the early modern period. This book is a comprehensive study that explores the intellectual and cultural exchanges between the two countries during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The book's main focus is on the early modern East India Company's efforts to establish a trading relationship with India. Through extensive research, Das delves into how the English visualized and imagined India, and how those ideas shaped their interactions with the country and its people. The book highlights how the cultural encounters between English merchants and Indian elites shaped the mutual perceptions of both countries, and highlights the ways in which the different communities negotiated their differences. What is impressive about the book is the author's ability to place the cultural exchanges between India and England in the broader context of the early modern era. By examining the overlap and interaction between the different fields, like art, literature, and science, "Courting India" provides a multifaceted understanding of the relationship between the East and West during this period. Overall, "Courting India" is a compelling and well-researched book that offers an original perspective on the cultural and intellectual exchanges between England and India. It would be an excellent addition to the library of anyone interested in the early modern period, cultural history, and postcolonial studies. Nandini Das's writing style is engaging and accessible, making this book an enjoyable read for scholars and laypeople alike.