This study provides a new perspective on the transition from pre-colonial to early colonial rule in the late 18 century Malabar (present-day northern Kerala). Making extensive use of Malayalam sources, it considers an important, largely neglected region of India, and offers a fresh approach towards the analysis of colonial encounters. The book focuses on the construction and legitimation of rule by elite local groups in Malabar and the implications of British conquest. At the centre of the study is an exploration of the clash of sovereignty that occurred when two very different concepts of rule collided—that of the British, built on the Euro-centric notion of the state with an all-pervasive administration, and that of the Malabar elite, a complex indigenous idea of the state based on redistributive processes. In the face of the British drive for supremacy local rulers could either co-operate, as did Vira Varmma of Kurumpranatu, or rebel, like Kerala Varmma Palassi Raja of Kottayam who presented one of the most significant challenges to colonial domination. A major contribution to academic literature on the region, this book combines detailed case study with broader ideas about the phenomenon of conflicting cultures and the resulting negotiation of new values within the spheres of politics, society, and economy. It will interest students and scholars of Indian history, politics, sociology, and anthropology as well as general readers interested in South India’s colonial experience.
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