India in the 1970s-The Hippie Trail

Although it wasn´t a British colony anymore there were lots of Europeans travelling to India in the 1970s. They came with the ´Hippie trail`, a big movement of mostly young people in search for spirituality. The reasons why they came were several. On the one hand they wanted to leave the money-oriented European world, on the other they expected to find the spirituality. It was like a search for love, peace and yourself. Most of them had become fascinated by the Hindu religion and hoped to get inspiration from Hindu gurus.

This trail was caused by the Beatles in 1966 who got effected by Indian music and religion. Many young people wanted to follow their heros and live on their example. However, most of them failed. Instead of spirituality they found poverty and homelessness. Often they took drugs and suffered not only physically but also emotionally from cuture shock and illness. The narrator of Heat and Dust meets some of those people (Chid) and is confronted with their situations (e.g. the people she sees on the streets in her first diary entry). 

India in the 1920s

As it was a British colony in the 1920s India was ruled and controlled by the British. At that time the British were involved in India for more than 300 years and since it had become a British colony in the 1850s there had been lots of wars and movements for independence.

The chief representive of British rule in India was the Viceroy who was sent there by the British Crown. as the country was divided in provinces and districts there were several chief administrators being reponsible for one district. They collected the taxes, kept law and order and gave advice to people who came to them. In our novel Mr Crawford has this job and Douglas is his assistent.

The British also ruled the Indian princes such as the Nawab in Heat and Dust.

In general, the British had a very good, often even luxurious life. As they were the rulers they belonged to the upper class and lived in comfortable bungalows, often waited on by a large number of Indian servants.  The progress and industry Britain had brought to India was more an advance for the British than for the Indians themselves. They made the law and were the economic winners.

However, the poor Indian people and the farmers didn´t benefit from the new progress. In oppisite, they suffered from the high taxes and the force to cultivate export products like cotton and not their daily food anymore. In fact, the poverty grow higher and there were bad famines caused by aridity and flood. The British did less to help the Indians out of their terrible situation.