This book examines an important period of transition in the political structure of South India. The first three-quarters of a century of British rule, down to the 1870s, had effectively torn apart and fragmented the political institutions of the South, and had left a highly parochial political society in which loyalties seldom extended beyond face-to-face relationships and power was extremely localized. This lack of significant supra-local political connections contributed to the Madras Presidency's reputation as the most 'benighted' of all Indian provinces.

Part of the Provincial Geography of India series, this 1913 volume, concentrates on Madras, Mysore, Coorg, and other associated states.

The memoirs of Sidney Wadsworth are a vital source on Britain's colonial history during the first half of the twentieth century. Recounting his long and distinguished career in the Indian Civil Service, Wadsworth paints an entertaining picture of the many places in Madras province where he served, with illuminating portraits of the important British and Indian figures with whom he associated. Here we see through his eyes the growth of Indian nationalism and the rise of Gandhi, and the impact of the Second World War on Madras. Reliving his journey from junior member of the ICS to High Court judge, Wadsworth displays a shrewd acumen and a keen eye for the ridiculous. By no means uncritical of British rule, he emerges from these pages as a conscientious, humane and reasonable official--unlike some of his contemporaries--and one able to accept the huge changes overtaking India. The physical and moral demands of his daily routine reveal the commitment of an administration that, for all its failings, steadily pursued the goal of good and impartial government. Also featuring excerpts from the memoirs of other civil servants then in the province, A Judge in Madras will fascinate anyone interested in the colonial encounter.

Adhira Yadhavar will do anything to save her family, even if it means accepting help from her enemy. 1764, Madras, India. Adhira's father has been arrested again by the British East India Company, and the pirates her father steals silk for will not leave the Yadhavar's home empty-handed. When Adhira and her mother fail to deliver the silk, Captain Sharva's men steal the family's most precious treasure: Adhira's brother. Now, it is up to Adhira to save her family, but she will have to accept help from Benedict Morgan, a lieutenant in the East India Company who keeps arresting her father. Can the two put aside their enmity to rescue Adhira's brother and bring down the most feared pirate in the East? And can Adhira and Benedict reconcile their growing attraction with their cultural and political differences to find love and unity in a political climate that pits them against each other?