Introduction

In an era of subaltern historiography and rising low-caste political consciousness, it seems that every previously silent minority and majority in India is acquiring a voice. The singular exception to this is the Indian princely state. Indian kingship occupies an ambiguous and uncertain position in theories of Indian society. The Dumontian view of caste has met with diverse criticism from anthropologists, who were able to offer alternative views of caste and hierarchy using ethnological evidence. In emphasising the enduring cultural and social roles of kingship, there is a danger that overlooks the social changes and transformations inevitably brought about by colonial modernity. This poses the danger of taking readers back to the Orientalists' construction of an 'unchanging' India. Despite the rather humiliating history of its maharajas, the princely state of Mysore acquired the reputation of being a model state within colonial India. This chapter presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book.