Historical Context & Analysis

While the text describes the regions traveled by Miss Roberts, the assessments and views placed upon the people and customs is skewed in favor of the British. Throughout the text, Roberts describes various traditions and the ways of life she witnessed along her travel, yet these are seen through the eyes of colonialists.

This era of British colonialism was heavily steeped in Orientalism, the concept that the east should be ruled and governed by British legislation and beliefs. This often led to negative and dismissive views about the native population, which lead the people to resent the British rule as we see in the Indian Rebellion of 1957. This casual disregard of the culture and beliefs of the people led to hostilities. Knowing this, the content of Roberts's book must be speculated as the writings and research of the region at the time were not that of genuine interest or academic understanding, but descriptions of novelty.

With the ending of the rebellion in 1859 the East India Company would be abolished in India and power would shift to the British crown. With this, the practices and legislature that affected the native people's society soon ceased.