The Men who Ruled India
- 368 pages
- 13 hours of reading
A study of the characters and public careers of Englishmen who founded and developed British rule in India from 1600 to 1947
Philip Mason will be remembered primarily as a writer of history, not exhaustively academic but sound, worldly-wise, and beautifully written. His accessible style appealed to those with life experience, bridging the gap between specialist research and general readership. Beyond his writing, Mason had a significant career in the Indian Civil Service and pioneered the study of race relations as the founding director of the Institute of Race Relations. His works, encompassing novels and historical volumes, often explored themes of empire, faith, and human nature, leaving readers with a profound reflection on the complexities of history and the human condition.






A study of the characters and public careers of Englishmen who founded and developed British rule in India from 1600 to 1947
The idea of the gentleman is central to the English view of the world. It runs through and illuminates English history at least from the time of Chaucer's parfit gentil knight. For the Victorians, it provided a second religion which underpinned not only daily life, but the whole edifice of empire.