Colonial Subjects as Hegemonic Actors

This chapter examines early Indian experiences of public diplomacy as the sub-continent transitioned from colonial territory to independent states. The chapter focuses on the political career of V. S. Srinivasa Sastri, who was an Indian liberal politician and who represented the British Empire abroad in various capacities. Sastri was an advocate for the maintenance of colonial structures albeit with social reforms. The chapter thus looks at the interplay between hegemonic and counter-hegemonic narratives and the role of race – White Supremacy in particular – as resistance to global change.