Unearthing Anglo-Indian Roots: A Personal Journey

Abstract

History comprises countless individual stories which, taken together, allow the historian to make generalisations and paint an overall picture of particular aspects of periods in history. Through the pursuit of their family histories, genealogists can contribute to validating or questioning those generalisations. At the same time, those generalisations can help genealogists appreciate and further develop their understanding of the story of individual ancestors, suggesting avenues of research that otherwise might have never been pursued.    

So it was for me. A chance discovery that one branch of my family tree included an Indian forebear led me not just on a quest to identify who they were, but also to understand the society in which they and their descendants lived, the particular challenges they faced, and the ways in which they navigated these obstacles. For other people of Anglo-Indian descent seeking to understand their heritage, my pathway to unearthing my Anglo-Indian roots could suggest options to explore in their own search.  In addition, the features of early 19^thcentury British Indian society that my search exposed, and how these impacted on people with Indian forebears, may resonate with their own ancestors’ experience.