Harriet Martineau, Victorian imperialism, and the civilizing mission

About this book

"Deborah A. Logan's in-depth study of Harriet Martineau's writing on nineteenth century imperialism elaborates Victorian concerns about radically shifting social ideologies. To understand Martineau's analyses of the Empire Question, Logan argues, is to recognize her authority as an insightful political commentator, historian, economist, and sociologist whose eclectic studies and intellectual curiosity positioned her as a shrewd observer of the imperial enterprise. Logan's primary sources are Martineau's nonfiction works, particularly periodicals writing, complemented by relevant didactic fiction, correspondence, and memoirs. Key texts include History of the Peace; Letters from Ireland, and Endowed Schools of Ireland; Illustrations of Political Economy; Eastern Life, Present and Past; and History of British Rule in India and Suggestions for the Future Rule of India. Logan emphasizes Martineau's negotiation of the conflict arising when the Empire's practices are measured against its stated principles, particularly when the Civilizing Mission compromises, rather than facilitates, indigenous cultural integrity. The image of Martineau that emerges is complex and fascinating: an advocate and a critic of British imperialism, she both championed and questioned the Civilizing Mission. Written with an awareness that she was recording contemporary history for future generations, Martineau's commentary on this perpetually intriguing, often tragic, and always instructive chapter in British and world history offers important insights that enhance and complicate our understanding of imperialism and globalization." --Book Jacket.