Part 2: From the high-water mark at Delhi to the fatal Treaty of Bassein, Sardesai’s Main Currents of Maratha History analyses how internal flaws doomed the empire built by the Peshwas. Sir Charles Warre Malet, concluding a treaty in 1790...

Besides redrawing the political map, British rule in India altered the rhythms of everyday life, introduced new social habits and, perhaps most significantly, influenced the way Indians viewed themselves. The end of colonial rule in 1947 brought political independence, but...