Telegraphic Imperialism: Crisis and Panic in the Indian Empire, c.1830-1920

Telegraphic Imperialism researches the telegraph system of the British Indian Empire, c. 1830 to 1920, exploring one of the single most significant transnational phenomena of the imperial world, and the link between communication, empire, and social change. The first electronic communication network, the predecessor of our internet, transformed language, distance, and time. Lahiri Choudhury studies this transnational system and how societies and perceptions changed because of the telegraph. He examines the issue of Persian sub-imperialism and the rapid expansion of the imperial powers and their rivalries, driven by the need to protect and control this new information network. He also offers a detailed analysis of British imperialism and the variety of strategies adopted by Indian nationalists to circumvent imperial control.

During this period the British Indian Empire emerged as a crucial strategic and commercial factor in the telegraphic network of the world. Larger India became a communication hub, and relatively remote points such as Fao and Gwadar were transformed from sleepy Middle Asian townlets and fishing villages into crucial nodes of the Indian Empire. This network itself serviced trade and communication across the globe from America to Russia, China, and Australasia. In the present age of rapid and competitive technological advancement, the study of communication history becomes ever more essential to our understanding of the developments that brought us here; Telegraphic Imperialism provides an important step towards this understanding.