Darjeeling occupies a special place in the South Asian imaginary. With its Himalayan vistas, lush tea gardens, and brisk mountain air, Darjeeling was the consummate colonial hill-station. The romance with the "queen of the hills" lives on, as thousands of tourists (domestic and international) annually flock to the hills to taste its world-renowned tea, soak… Continue reading Darjeeling Reconsidered
Tag: Post/Colonialism
The Demands of Recognition
Since the British colonial period anthropology has been central to policy in India. But today, while the Indian state continues to use ethnography to govern, those who were the "objects" of study are harnessing disciplinary knowledge to redefine their communities, achieve greater prosperity, and secure political rights. In this groundbreaking study, Townsend Middleton tracks these… Continue reading The Demands of Recognition
Quinine’s Remains: An Alkaloid Anthropology
Cinchona: The Fabled "Fever Tree" My new book project chronicles the lives—and afterlives—of an alkaloid that changed the world. Quinine is primarily known (and consumed) as the signature ingredient of tonic water, but historically this alkaloid served a more profound function. For centuries, it was the only known remedy for malaria. Extracted from the bark… Continue reading Quinine’s Remains: An Alkaloid Anthropology
Townsend Middleton 