a memoir written by a sepoy employed in the East India Company army and a diary

Objective:

In a coherently structured essay, discuss Anglo-Indian relations. Relying on the provided primary sources – a memoir written by a sepoy employed in the East India Company army and a diary by a British officer also employed in the East India Army, around the same time – compare views, attitudes and perceptions that Indians and the English held about one another, evinced in the writing of both men.

Excerpts of

• Sita Ram, From Sepoy to Subedar: the life and adventures of subedar Sita Ram, a native officer of the Bengal Army, written and related by himself. Edited by James Lunt (London: Papermac, 1988).
• Charles Nedham, Experiences of a Young British Officer in India, 1845-49. Edited by Peter Harrington (Solihull, UK: Helion & Company, 2017).

What to do?

Step 1: Consult the sources; do a thorough reading; underline important passages; take notes 2-3 hours

Step 2: Critically think about your argument / thesis (remember: history essays are NOT summaries: what is it that you want to establish/demonstrate/prove in your paper? The answer to this question is your argument)

Step 3: Sketch an outline (Intro, paragraph 1, paragraph 2, conclusion)

Step 4: Write your first draft

Step 5: Edit your paper; visit the WLC; drop by my office hour

Step 6: submit your paper on canvas, June

The fine print:

• The paper should be 1500 words in length, incl. footnotes, bibliography
• Use size 12, Times New Roman
• For in-text citations (incl. quotations and paraphrases) as well as your bibliography, refer to Chicago Manual Style. Ask for help if unsure. The Library, the WLC, google and your instructor are great resources!
• A proper number of citations/footnotes is anywhere between 3-7 per page. Keep in mind: the more citations you include, the less room you have for analysis

readings are below–