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In the course of reading and investigation, necessary for acquiring that measure of
knowledge which I was anxious to possess, respecting my country, its people, its
government, its interests, its policy, and its laws. It was met, and in some degree
surprised, by extraordinary difficulties, when I arrived at that part of my inquiries
which related to India. On other subjects, of any magnitude and importance, I
generally found, that there was some one book, or small number of books, containing
the material part of the requisite information; and in which direction was obtained, by
reference to other books, if, in any part, the reader found it necessary to extend his
researches. In regard to India, the case was exceedingly different. The knowledge,
requisite for attaining an adequate conception of that great scene of British action, was
collected no where. It was scattered in a great variety of repositories sometimes in
considerable portions, often in very minute ones; sometimes by itself, often mixed up
with subjects of a very different nature: and, even where information relating to India
stood disjoined from other subjects, a small portion of what was useful lay commonly
imbedded in a large mass of what was trifling and insignificant; and of a body of
statements, given indiscriminately as matters of fact, ascertained by the senses, the far
greater part was in general only matter of opinion, borrowed, in succession, by one set
of Indian gentlemen from another
The History of British India, vol. 1
The History of British India, vol. 2
The History of British India, vol. 3
The History of British India, vol. 4
The History of British India, vol. 5
The History of British India, vol. 6
