Research Catalog
Remotely colonial : history and politics in Balochistan / Nina Swidler.
- Title
- Remotely colonial : history and politics in Balochistan / Nina Swidler.
- Author
- Swidler, Nina
- Publication
- Karachi : Oxford University Press, 2014.
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| Status | Format | Access | Call Number | Item Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Text | Request in advance | DS392.B28 S95 2014x | Off-site |
Holdings
Details
- Description
- xiii, 320 pages : illustration, maps; 23 cm
- Summary
- Remotely Colonial is a monograph that examines tribalism and nationalism as historical processes in Kalat, which is today incorporated in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. Kalat was 'remotely colonial' in two ways. It was located on the far reaches of the Indian Empire, and British interests were geostrategic rather than economic. The British designated Kalat a native state, but proceeded to marginalize the ruler in favour of sardars (chiefs) and tribal governance through jirga (tribal court) deliberations. This led to tensions between local officials dealing with events on the ground and the central government, which was determined that the facade of Kalat State be maintained. Colonial subject status-tribal, client, or British Protected Subject-determined rights and obligations. The fragmentation of subject-hood produced a situation in which Kalat State became a polity with situationally defined subjects. Although Kalat State ceased to exist in 1955, its colonial structures persist today. Sardars and jirgas have become signifiers of entrenched tradition, a tribal 'other' of the national state. This is a convenient image for the Pakistani government, enabling blame for present conditions to be pinned on the tribal sector, deflecting attention away from the states failure to provide basic services. Book jacket.
- Subject
- 1800 - 1899
- Politics and government
- Diplomatic relations
- Politik
- Stammesgesellschaft
- Provinz Belutschistan
- Kalāt District (Pakistan) > History
- Kalāt District (Pakistan) > Politics and government
- Great Britain > Foreign relations > 19th century
- Great Britain
- Pakistan > Kalāt District
- Belutschistan
- Distrikt Kalat
- Genre/Form
- History
- Bibliography (note)
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 305-314) and index.
- Processing Action (note)
- committed to retain
- Contents
- 1 Introduction 1 -- 2 Kalat Before the British 32 -- 3 The Birth of the Balochistan Agency 48 -- 4 The Politics of Space 79 -- 5 The Politics of Culture 117 -- 6 The Space of Politics 149 -- 7 The Averted Gaze 194 -- 8 Seeking the Imaginary Balance 215 -- 9 The Politics of Change 244 -- 10 The Afterlife of Paramountcy 290.
- ISBN
- 9780199068654
- 0199068658
- OCLC
- 893189738
- SCSB-12299337
- Owning Institutions
- Harvard Library