--- product_id: 66449824 title: "The Ruling Caste: Imperial Lives in the Victorian Raj" price: "251.11 DT" currency: TND in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/66449824-the-ruling-caste-imperial-lives-in-the-victorian-raj store_origin: TN region: Tunisia --- # The Ruling Caste: Imperial Lives in the Victorian Raj **Price:** 251.11 DT **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Ruling Caste: Imperial Lives in the Victorian Raj - **How much does it cost?** 251.11 DT with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/66449824-the-ruling-caste-imperial-lives-in-the-victorian-raj) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description In 1900 just over a thousand British civil servants ruled a population of nearly 300 million people spread over a territory now covered by India, Pakistan, Burma and Bangladesh. In its time, the Indian Civil Service was regarded as efficient, benevolent and incorruptible, but revisionist historians have recently questioned its competence and derided its altruism. In this absorbing, extensively researched new book, David Gilmour traces the lives of its officials, from recruitment to retirement, from jungle to Government House, from a bungalow in Burma to a residency in Rajputana. He describes their work and their leisure, their intellectual and their private lives. The result is a portrait more varied and complicated than that painted by their old admirers, and yet fairer and subtler than those routinely produced by their post-colonial detractors. Review: Marvellous insight into how the British ran India. - Marvellous picture of how British India was run. Detailed, fabulously well researched, thorough and endlessly enjoyable. Whatever one's views on the role of the British in India - and of colonialism generally - this book paints a vivid picture of an exceptional administrative service, a 'Ruling Caste', made up largely of very dedicated and hard-working men, that was in many ways benign and well intentioned and which helped make India the global player it is today. Review: You wouldn't have thought a book about a civil service, even the Indian Civil Service, could be so interesting... - There still seems to be an enduring fascination with Britain's colonial history, a certain glamour and exoticism that survives despite the criticism and disapproval of the reasons for being there in the first place. This book fully exposes how little glamour and exoticism there actually was in the service of the Raj, how hard and gruelling the life of an Indian Civil Service officer (known as Civilians to distinguish them from the Army) could be, how lonely and isolating. Some men thrived, others sickened or went mad; some rose to the challenge, others were disorganised, inefficient and incompetent. Some were never promoted to the level they believed they deserved; others went all the way up to Viceroy. David Gilmour's book follows the life of an ICS Civilian from recruitment to pension, charting the rise and fall of trends and empire-building, ranging from holidays at hill stations like Sinda and Ooty, to the 'frontiers' of the North-West Provinces, Burma and Aghanistan. It looks at the kind of men attracted to the ICS, how they were chosen, what their postings involved, the different roles and stations, their leisure time and personal lives. I could have done with more of a focus on the lives of their families, particularly the women - it must have been an incredibly lonely life for a new wife or mother. But the focus in this is very much on the men, not their dependants. You wouldn't have thought a book about a civil service, even the Indian Civil Service, could be so interesting, but I thoroughly enjoyed this. Gilmour takes a very balanced approach, at no point approving of Britain's colonial past, but by the same token not condemning the men of the time by today's standards. The majority of the men in the ICS felt they were doing their very best for the people of India; some even went on to support independence. It would be unfair to dismiss all their motives as racist and self-serving, despite the inherent paternalistic oppression in the very nature of colonialism. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | 648,711 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 59,779 in History (Books) 135,340 in Society, Politics & Philosophy | | Customer Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 stars 94 Reviews | ## Images ![The Ruling Caste: Imperial Lives in the Victorian Raj - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91i5Z6jZkdL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Marvellous insight into how the British ran India. *by N***R on 30 January 2015* Marvellous picture of how British India was run. Detailed, fabulously well researched, thorough and endlessly enjoyable. Whatever one's views on the role of the British in India - and of colonialism generally - this book paints a vivid picture of an exceptional administrative service, a 'Ruling Caste', made up largely of very dedicated and hard-working men, that was in many ways benign and well intentioned and which helped make India the global player it is today. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ You wouldn't have thought a book about a civil service, even the Indian Civil Service, could be so interesting... *by C***L on 6 March 2014* There still seems to be an enduring fascination with Britain's colonial history, a certain glamour and exoticism that survives despite the criticism and disapproval of the reasons for being there in the first place. This book fully exposes how little glamour and exoticism there actually was in the service of the Raj, how hard and gruelling the life of an Indian Civil Service officer (known as Civilians to distinguish them from the Army) could be, how lonely and isolating. Some men thrived, others sickened or went mad; some rose to the challenge, others were disorganised, inefficient and incompetent. Some were never promoted to the level they believed they deserved; others went all the way up to Viceroy. David Gilmour's book follows the life of an ICS Civilian from recruitment to pension, charting the rise and fall of trends and empire-building, ranging from holidays at hill stations like Sinda and Ooty, to the 'frontiers' of the North-West Provinces, Burma and Aghanistan. It looks at the kind of men attracted to the ICS, how they were chosen, what their postings involved, the different roles and stations, their leisure time and personal lives. I could have done with more of a focus on the lives of their families, particularly the women - it must have been an incredibly lonely life for a new wife or mother. But the focus in this is very much on the men, not their dependants. You wouldn't have thought a book about a civil service, even the Indian Civil Service, could be so interesting, but I thoroughly enjoyed this. Gilmour takes a very balanced approach, at no point approving of Britain's colonial past, but by the same token not condemning the men of the time by today's standards. The majority of the men in the ICS felt they were doing their very best for the people of India; some even went on to support independence. It would be unfair to dismiss all their motives as racist and self-serving, despite the inherent paternalistic oppression in the very nature of colonialism. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Five Stars *by C***S on 12 January 2018* An excellent read. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tn/products/66449824-the-ruling-caste-imperial-lives-in-the-victorian-raj](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/66449824-the-ruling-caste-imperial-lives-in-the-victorian-raj) --- *Product available on Desertcart Tunisia* *Store origin: TN* *Last updated: 2026-06-22*