Railways in Modern India (review)

This book, part of a series on Indian history, deals with the place of railways in the formation of that country as a modern entity. "Modern," in this case, means the nineteenth and twentieth century, and Ian Kerr makes clear that modernity is not necessarily connected with "progress." As for railways, they are of course "major examples of large-scale technical systems" (p. 18). But they also transcend the material realm and have a definite bearing on broader economic, social, cultural, political, and ideological spheres.

Kerr divides his volume into three parts: an analytical introduction, a selection of texts, and an annotated bibliography. Despite the relevance of the essays that form the core of the book—all carefully chosen to suggest the range of historical scholarship on Indian railways—it is the introduction and bibliography that make Kerr's work outstanding. The introduction focuses on the idea that "Railways were at the organizational and technological centre of many of the interrelated economic, political, social and ecological transformations that produced modern India" (p. 3); hence Indian railways have been an obvious subject for countless studies, both academic and popular. There is, however, much to be done, and Kerr stresses the need for a "generously conceived railway history" (p. 23). In order for the efforts of historians to be valuable for nonspecialists, there must be a continuous address to contextual concerns. Railways in Modern India is a successful and stimulating effort of just this sort.

In pondering the secondary literature on Indian railways, Kerr laments its failure to address the general context of modern Indian and South Asian history. His collection of readings illustrates the ways in which historians and others have approached railways in the span of almost one hundred and fifty years, but it also demonstrates his contention that there are numerous neglected realms and even "black holes" in Indian railway history (p. 24). Indeed, one of the merits of this book is that it does spotlight ignored areas of inquiry. There are five helpful maps.

Complementing the meticulous references in the introduction, the annotated bibliography should prove useful to those making contact with the topic for the first time as well as "serious scholars" (as the slightly patronizing dust jacket affirms). All in all, Railways in Modern India is an exemplar of what a survey of a broad subject should be. This is an important work, unique in its field. It skillfully addresses some of the concerns of contemporary history—which is inclined to revise traditional topics in the light of current challenges—by presenting summaries of what has been accomplished as well as suggesting new departures. It does offer disappointingly little information on some important topics, but it is full of erudite advice, and one hopes that it is already inspiring studies that will improve our understanding of the role of railways in history.