Abstract
Amitav Ghosh’s Ibis Trilogy is a saga of the Opium War and the imperialistic monopoly of Great Britain over almost half the world. The British conquered India and ruled over the sub-continent with an iron hand, but at the same time being flexible with certain practices of the Indians. The Indians on the other hand, apert from sporadic outbursts, supported the British in their rule, with money and men. The symbiotic relationship of the British rulers and the Indian subjects was complex and incomprehensible to outsiders. The British through careful manipulation made the Indians do their bidding and this is reflected by Ghosh in his trilogy.
Highlights
To the rampant poverty induced by the British rule, the poverty-stricken people are forced to sign themselves up to be shipped off to countries such as Mauritius, Singapore and West Indies as coolies
He takes this theme further in the Ibis Trilogy where through the span of three novels, three major countries and many unforgettable characters create a saga of Imperialism and ‘Free Trade’ which has very little presence in recorded history
“It arrived in the form of trade, and the trade was a beachhead for land-acquisition, first peacefully obtained by grants, and by force”(Ghosh 10).This leads to the occupied country suffering in an incomprehensible manner
Summary
To the rampant poverty induced by the British rule, the poverty-stricken people are forced to sign themselves up to be shipped off to countries such as Mauritius, Singapore and West Indies as coolies. The British supervisors and officers appoint men like Bhyro Singh who recruit the labourers and bring them aboard the ships to be transported across the Black Waters or kaala paani. The men recruiting the coolies are Indians who help the British send the destitute to distant British colonies, so that they might work as bonded labour till the end of their lives or till freedom comes knocking at their doors.
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