Dynamics Of Change And The Emergence Of Nationalist Ideas In 19th Century Colonial Kumaon In Things To Leave Behind

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to explore the transformation and emergence of nationalist ideas in colonial Kumaon through the novel Things to Leave Behind by Namita Gokhale. The colonial advent in Kumaon was a significant event for Kumaoni society in many ways. Namita Gokhale has presented Things to Leave Behind as a historical novel which narrates the legacy of British Raj and the emergence of fragile modernity. The novel chronicles the historical events which took place during British Raj and changed the life of Kumaoni people. The period chosen by Gokhale in her novel was a time of great tumult. The years from 1840 to 1912 saw many significant events in the history of Kumaon. It started with the spreading tentacles of British rule in India. However, the change was slow in coming to the hills but it had a profound impact on the life of Kumaoni people. The novel begins with the year 1856, the year before the Indian Sepoy Mutiny when the Kumaon hills recently started experiencing the wave of British rule. The Sepoy Mutiny was the first step towards a conscious revolt against colonial rule but later dubbed as the ‘First War of Independence’ because it played a pivotal role in leading the way for the National Freedom Struggle.