About the Book This England we honor and love. This is the England that the world honors, and that has made the name of Britain great. If this England had been in power, India would never have been conquered and reduced to bondage; but would have been dealt with justly, befriended, and helped to rise in freedom to an influential place in the world like that of Japan. I have written every word of this book in earnest sympathy with what we believe the principles of this true and nobler England. There is much reason to believe that this England, if in power today, by offering to the Indian people promptly, generously, courageously, honestly, in absolute good faith, freedom and self government under "Dominion Status" like that of Canada and Australia, could retain India as a contented (and, of course, immensely important) member of the British Empire. Unfortunately, there is another England. Unwilling as one may be to confess it, or to have it so, there is an England whose ideals and political principles are almost the exact opposite of those just described. It is the England which fought against Magnal Charta; which refused to give justice and freedom to the American Colonies in 1776; which has constantly allied itself with militarism and imperialism.Thrusts into prison without trial Indian leaders who agitate for freedom, and gives no assurance of any real intention of ever loosening its iron grip upon what King George calls "My Indian Empire. In author judgment, this England, unless held in check, will create irreparable hostility between the Indian people and Great Britain, and thus make India a smouldering volcano of unrest, certain in no distant day to burst into an eruption of the most dangerous possible character.
About the Author Jabez Thomas Sunderland (1842-1936) was a minister of the Unitarian church in the United States and an outspoken activist for human rights and anti-imperialism. He was especially involved in matters of Indian independence and wrote the book India in Bondage (1929, 1932). Than the family moved to the United States of America, he was educated at the University of Chicago, receiving an AB in 1867 and a master's in 1869 followed by studies at the Baptist Union Theological seminary receiving a BD (1870). He received an honorary D.D. from Tufts University in 1914. He worked across North America and wrote numerous books. He was involved in movements to improve women's education, the conditions of work, world peace, and was an anti-imperialist who took a lot of interest in India. He was an advocate for self governance by Indians and made a trip to India in 1895-96 partly to meet the leaders of the Brahmo Samaj which had impressed him. He met with Dr Atmaram Pandurang and spoke at the Fergusson College in 1895. He met leaders of the Indian National Congress who were meeting in Poona for the tenth meeting. His book, India in Bondage (1929) was published shortly after Katherine Mayo's Mother India and included an appendix rebutting some of her claims.
Foreword In this Twentieth Century after Christ, ought any nation in the world to be held in subjection by foreign bayonets? Then ought great historic India to be so held? Just what is India? Is it a nation of barbarians, or semi-barbarians,as many seem to think? Is it a nation of little importance? Has it ever been anything or done anything of sufficient interest to mankind so that anyhody need care whether it is free or slave? Let us see.
Book's Contents and Sample Pages
