The 'Incumberances': British Women in India, 1615-1856

This volume provides critical insights on the role(s) of British women during the seventeenth to mid-nineteenth century period in India. Drawing on Company records, journals, and diaries, it fills a significant gap in the existing research and brings together the challenges and experiences of these women in view of their earliest entry in the country in the seventeenth century. Divided into three sections, this book explores various issues ranging from the Company's decision to allow women to travel to India, their changing expectations from these women as opposed to the changing activities of the Company itself, the women's desire to come to India in the face of difficult conditions, and their varied experiences in the country.