Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Palgrave Macmillan

Britain's Imperial Administrators, 1858-1966

  • Book
  • © 2000

Overview

Authors:
  1. Anthony Kirk-Greene

    1. St Antony’s College, Oxford, UK

    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Part of the book series: St Antony's Series (STANTS)

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this book

Log in via an institution
eBook USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

Licence this eBook for your library

Institutional subscriptions

Table of contents (11 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xv
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Introduction

    1. Introduction

      • Anthony Kirk-Greene
      Pages 1-3

  3. Environment

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 5-5
      Download chapter PDF

    2. Anatomizing the Making of the Generic District Officer

      • Anthony Kirk-Greene
      Pages 7-22

    3. An Empire to be Administered: the Metropolitan Organization

      • Anthony Kirk-Greene
      Pages 23-56

    4. On Company and Other Crown Service Overseas

      • Anthony Kirk-Greene
      Pages 57-84

  4. Governance

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 85-85
      Download chapter PDF

    2. The Indian Civil Service, 1858–1947

      • Anthony Kirk-Greene
      Pages 87-124

    3. The Colonial Administrative Service, 1895–1966

      • Anthony Kirk-Greene
      Pages 125-163

    4. The Sudan Political Service, 1899–1955

      • Anthony Kirk-Greene
      Pages 164-201

    5. Proconsuls at the Top

      • Anthony Kirk-Greene
      Pages 202-238

  5. Relinquishment

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 239-239
      Download chapter PDF

    2. The Transfer of Power and Localization

      • Anthony Kirk-Greene
      Pages 241-259

    3. Decolonization, Early Retirement and Second Careers

      • Anthony Kirk-Greene
      Pages 260-273

    4. Empowering the Imperial Administrator

      • Anthony Kirk-Greene
      Pages 274-291

  6. Back Matter

    Pages 292-347
    Download chapter PDF
Back to top

Keywords

About this book

Britain's famous overseas civil services - the Colonial Administrative Service, the Indian Civil Service and the Sudan Political Service - no longer exist as a major and sought-after career for Britain's graduates. In this detailed study the history of each service is presented within the framework of the need to administer an expanding empire. Close attention is paid to the methods of recruitment and training and to the socio-educational background of the overseas administrators as well as to the nature of their work. The prestigious incumbents of Government House are revealingly examined. The impact of decolonisation on overseas officials and the kinds of 'second careers' which they took up are documented. This authoritative narrative history is enlivened by recourse to Service lore and anecdotes.

Reviews

'...a comprehensive, nuanced understanding of the grass-roots rulers of empire.' - Albion

'...Kirk-Greene's study is tremendously strong on detail, and is particularly valuable for that.' - Gordon Johnson, The Times Higher Education Supplement

'Meticulous and impressive.' - West Africa

Authors and Affiliations

  • St Antony’s College, Oxford, UK

    Anthony Kirk-Greene

About the author

ANTHONY KIRK-GREENE served in the Indian Army in the Second World War and then went up to Cambridge University. He joined the Colonial Administrative Service in 1950, working in Northern Nigeria as a District Officer from 1950-60 and then at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. In 1967 he was elected Senior Research Fellow at St Antony's College, Oxford, and in 1980 became the first holder of the University's Lectureship in the Modern History of Africa. He was President of the African Studies Association of the UK, 1988-90. He has lectured widely in American and Canadian universities. On retirement in 1992 he was elected to a Leverhulme Emeritus Fellowship, during which he wrote the present book (his 27th). He is currently Adjunct Professor at the Stanford University Centre in Oxford and an Associate Editor of The New Dictionary of National Biography. He has recently published an
anniversary history of the Colonial Service, On Crown Service.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Britain's Imperial Administrators, 1858-1966

  • Authors: Anthony Kirk-Greene

  • Series Title: St Antony's Series

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230286320

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan London

  • eBook Packages: Palgrave History Collection, History (R0)

  • Copyright Information: Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited 2000

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-333-73297-7Published: 24 February 2000

  • eBook ISBN: 978-0-230-28632-0Published: 24 February 2000

  • Series ISSN: 2633-5964

  • Series E-ISSN: 2633-5972

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XV, 347

  • Topics: History of Britain and Ireland, Imperialism and Colonialism, Industries

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Back to top

Search

Navigation