Sumathi Ramaswamy: Imagining India in the Empire of Science

German Historical Institute London Podcast

This podcast episode is a recording of the inaugural Thyssen Lecture, given by Sumathi Ramaswamy, and organized by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation in cooperation with the GHIL. Drawing inspiration from Edward Said's concept of imperialism as geographical violence, she delves into the ways in which various scientific disciplines, like geography and cartography, played a role in shaping how India was perceived and understood during the two centuries of British colonial rule – in other words, how they ‘worlded’ India. Her lecture uncovers a conflicted relationship between science on the one hand and art and imagination on the other, entwined in the process of ‘worlding’ India.”