Indian Doctors in Kenya, 1895-1940

This ground-breaking book offers unique insights into the careers of Indian doctors in colonial Kenya during the height of British colonialism, between 1895 and 1940. The story of these important Indian professionals presents a rare social history of an important political minority.

“This monograph makes significant contributions to studies on the history of medicine, colonial history, African history, and diaspora studies. It offers a new lens into medical practice in the African colony and raises new ideas about the history of South-South global biomedical intervention.” (Donna A. Patterson, American Historical Review, Vol. 122 (2), April, 2017)

“The authors wield an impressive command of the scholarly literature on colonial medicine, Kenyan history, and the Indian diaspora, but their thematic interests rarely stray far from the biographical trajectories and political and economic conditions of Indian doctors. … Readers interested in colonial Kenya, the Indian diaspora, and of course colonial medicine will find several gems in this study. … this is an authoritative study that will serve as a valuable reference for a host of overlapping readerships.” (James R. Brennan, Journal of the History of Medicine, Vol. 71 (4), October, 2016)

“Anna Greenwood and Harshad Topiwala set out to detail the complex position of western-trained Indian doctors in Kenya from the late nineteenth century to 1940. … the book offers a unique and important view into a group of elite individuals who struggled with their complex positions in an ever-changing and segregationist society and in turn offers us a new window into the various players that were involved in the colonial process.” (Tiffany F. Jones, Social History of Medicine, Vol. 29 (3), August, 2016)

“A labor of love, but there is little sentimantality here. Rather, the research is always thorough, and the analysis impartial. One of the volume’s strengths is the way in which the authors write about the overt racism without the whiggism that so oftenclouds modern colonial studies.” (William Bynum, Professor Emeritus of the History of Medicine, University College, London,UK)

“The significance of Greenwood and Topiwala’s book lies not only in its ability to piece together disparate and incomplete sources in order to offer a careful analysis of Indian roles in Kenyan medicine, but also lies in its capacity to display the complexity of colonialism itself.” (Tiffany F. Jones Associate Professor of California State University, San Bernardino , USA)

“Richly footnoted with several leads for future inquiry, this is an authoritative study that will serve as a valuable reference for a host of overlapping readerships.” (James R. Brennan, Associate Professor, Department of History, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA)

“This is a remarkable book in its expanse, scope and the meticulousness of its research. A rare mix. In refreshingly readable prose, the authors address critical aspects of the history of colonial medicine, segregation and medical policy in the neglected history of Indian doctors in Africa.” (Professor Pratik Chakrabarti, University of Manchester, UK)

Anna Greenwood is Assistant Professor in British Imperial History at University of Nottingham, UK. She has published widely on colonial medical history, and is particularly interested in the way racial ideologies have influenced medical practice. This is her second monograph, having previously published (as Crozier) Practising Colonial Medicine, The Colonial Medical Service in British East Africa (2007). She is also Editor and Contributor to (ed.) Beyond the State: The Colonial Medical Service in Africa (2015).

Harshad Topiwala is Honorary Research Fellow of History at the University of Kent, UK. He has held executive positions with Shell, and served as Director of NHS Boards in Kent and on the Kent Committee for Magistrates. He is currently a member of the University of Kent Council.