{"product_id":"xzlnmyvk3uq9","title":"Sayeb mem Samachar by Nikhil Sur [Hardcover]","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"The British in Colonial Calcutta: Life and Society in the Company Era\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the early \u003cstrong\u003e18th century to the 1840s\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eCalcutta\u003c\/strong\u003e held an irresistible allure for British expatriates. Following the \u003cstrong\u003eBattle of Plassey\u003c\/strong\u003e, young Englishmen were drawn to the city with the \u003cstrong\u003epromise of fortune\u003c\/strong\u003e, akin to shaking a \u003cstrong\u003emoney-laden pagoda tree\u003c\/strong\u003e. However, this enthusiasm \u003cstrong\u003ewaned\u003c\/strong\u003e before the century’s end.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003epre-Plassey and post-Plassey eras\u003c\/strong\u003e present \u003cstrong\u003econtrasting\u003c\/strong\u003e yet sometimes overlapping \u003cstrong\u003eportraits\u003c\/strong\u003e of British life in Calcutta. The \u003cstrong\u003eCompany era\u003c\/strong\u003e was not a monolithic experience for the British community—there were \u003cstrong\u003eclass distinctions\u003c\/strong\u003e, a clear divide between the \u003cstrong\u003e“big” and “small” Englishmen\u003c\/strong\u003e, and an evolving \u003cstrong\u003esocial landscape\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the \u003cstrong\u003eearly 18th century\u003c\/strong\u003e, the scarcity of Englishwomen led many British men to form \u003cstrong\u003eliaisons with Indian “bibis” (mistresses)\u003c\/strong\u003e. By the later half of the century, however, a \u003cstrong\u003ewave of unmarried Englishwomen\u003c\/strong\u003e arrived in search of husbands—some returning home disappointed, others forced into marriages with much older men.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile some \u003cstrong\u003eBritish women despised Calcutta\u003c\/strong\u003e, others \u003cstrong\u003efell in love with the city\u003c\/strong\u003e, enduring the \u003cstrong\u003earduous sea voyage\u003c\/strong\u003e multiple times or even choosing to remain for life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book paints a \u003cstrong\u003erich and intricate picture\u003c\/strong\u003e of \u003cstrong\u003eBritish men and women in colonial Calcutta\u003c\/strong\u003e, offering both \u003cstrong\u003ecolorful and starkly contrasting\u003c\/strong\u003e glimpses into their \u003cstrong\u003elives, struggles, and social dynamics\u003c\/strong\u003e during the \u003cstrong\u003eCompany era\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!----\u003e","brand":"Ananda Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48329197289722,"sku":"XZLNMYVK3UQ9","price":466.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0704\/0473\/5226\/files\/XZLNMYVK3UQ9_1.jpg?v=1738919505","url":"https:\/\/versoz.co.in\/products\/xzlnmyvk3uq9","provider":"VERSOZ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}