India’s Nonviolent Freedom Struggle: The Thomas Christians (1599–1799) (Routledge Studies in South Asian History)

By: Clara A. Joseph

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Synopsis: India’s Nonviolent Freedom Struggle focuses on the Thomas Christians, a group of Christians in South India who waged a nonviolent struggle against European colonization during the politically volatile period of 1599-1799. 　 This book has three related objectives and unique characteristics. First, it offers a comprehensive study of primary sources that scholars have referenced but rarely studied in-depth. Second, it argues that the Thomas Christian narratives provide a unique position to challenge prevalent estimations found in canonical and postcolonial critical discourse on the nation. Third, it considers how an account of a nonviolent struggle by Thomas Christians further complicates received ideas of the postcolonial nation. It sheds light on the often-overlooked contributions of the Thomas Christians in India’s nonviolent freedom struggle and challenges readers to reimagine the complex and often contentious relationship between colonizers and colonized. 　 A groundbreaking book that offers a fresh perspective on the Indian freedom struggle and the study of Indian history, this book is an essential read for scholars of colonialism, anticolonial movements, and the history of India.