Company decoded

Mona 

History repeats, in slight variations. And, that’s what makes ex-civil servant GS Cheema revisit eighteenth century through this book The Ascent of John Company. This is GS Cheema’s fourth book that tracks the times of late eighteenth century, and the life then. A colloquial name for East India Company, John was thought to be the great ruler ‘back home’ and his minions serving him here in India that’s why the title. 

“Company wasn’t understood that well in India at that time. Some thought ‘company’ was a queen and the presiding governors her children,” laughs Cheema, and interestingly that makes the first chapter of the book. So, what  are the parallels in that time and now, we ask the author who has written about eighteenth century from different angles. “Corruption is one. Many here still believe that despite being foreigners, British ruled India impeccably; there was a system that worked. But corruption was rampant, not only were the officials fleecing people here, but they were also cheating their company.”

Cheema, who had translated a memoir by a French officer who happened to be in India around the same time called A Memoir of the Mughal Empire: Events of 1757-1761 by Jean Law de Lauriston, mentions how Mughal Empire was considered indispensable and no efforts were made to dethrone the rulers.

While history serves purpose to track our roots, learn our lessons; how can we connect today’s generation that has a short attention span with it? And, in this very direction Cheema’s book makes Bengal during the years 1756 to 1787 come alive.

Cheema writes on historical subjects and is an avid reader. His current read is The Tartan Turban: In Search of Alexander Gardner by John Keay that follows the journey of nineteenth century’s most intrepid traveller.

While this author spends a major part of his day in reading and writing, his non-book passions involve collecting coins and travelling. Having done Englanss last year, he is eyeing central Asia this year.

The Ascent of John Company is published by Manohar Publishers.