Scottish Élites and the Indian Empire, 1700–1815
Scottish Élites and the Indian Empire, 1700–1815
This chapter describes the ambitions of Scottish élites in India. The fears of English contemporaries about a growing Scottish presence in the East India Company (EIC) and the royal forces in India have been fully supported by modern research. Mortality rates among the Company's men were often horrendous. The assumption behind Linda Colley's thesis that India posts were not attractive to the sons of the metropolitan élites is unfounded for the post-1770 period. From modern researches, a powerful link can be established between British politics in the post-union period and the increasing preferment of Scots to posts at the periphery of empire. It was that East India postings became the foundation for bringing more political stability to Scotland and forging a stronger union.
Keywords: Indian Empire, East India Company, Linda Colley, British politics, political stability
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