As the British prepared for war in Afghanistan in 1839, rumours spread of a Muslim conspiracy based in India's Deccan region. Colonial officials were convinced that itinerant preachers of jihad - whom they labelled 'Wahhabis' - were collaborating with Russian and Persian armies and inspiring Muslim princes to revolt. Officials detained and interrogated Muslim travellers, conducted weapons inspections at princely forts, surveyed mosques, and ultimately annexed territories of the accused. Using untapped archival materials, Chandra Mallampalli describes how local intrigues, often having little...
As the British prepared for war in Afghanistan in 1839, rumours spread of a Muslim conspiracy based in India's Deccan region. Colonial officials were ...
