Open Letters to Lord Curzon & Speeches and Papers

Romesh Ch. Dutt (1848-1909) is one of the brightest stars in the galaxy of nineteenth century Indian thinkers both in literature and contemporary politico-economic conditions. His innumerable writings on India’s economic conditions under the British rule, as well as on the cultural heritage of this country are too well known to need any fresh introduction. He waged a protracted intellectual was against the wrong policies and mismanagement of the rulers, which caused repeated famines in different parts of India and innumerable hardships to common people. Besides writing quite a few volumes on those subjects, he delivered many important speeches and presented many thought-provoking papers both in India and in England. He also carried on correspondence with British administrators to press on them his suggestions fro redress. The present volume comprises his speeches and writings on Indian questions, during 1897-1902 and also includes his letters to the then Viceroy Lord Curzon on Indian famines and land tenures. In these speeches and writings he has discussed, threadbare, the causes of famines, drawbacks of the British system of land tenure and taxation and suggested fruitful remedies. The contents of this volume not only are very authentic source material for the study of the economic history of India, but also provide ample guidelines for the present policy makers and administrators. The volume also contains four papers on Indian apics and Hindu religion and philosophy.