1st Edition
A History of the Two Indies A Translated Selection of Writings from Raynal's Histoire philosophique et politique des établissements des Européens dans les Deux Indes
First published in 1770 and running to over one million words, Raynal’s Histoire philosophique et politique des établissements des Européens dans les Deux Indes was an immediate bestseller that was to go through numerous editions in various languages. Taking a radical anti-imperialistic stance, the nineteen books that comprised the original work covered the history of European colonisation of India, the East Indies, China, parts of Africa, and the Americas. Much of the success, and subsequent reputation, of the Histoire was based on its attacks on tyranny, slavery and colonial exploitation, and it quickly became one of the basic texts for the humanitarian movement. In this current edition, Peter Jimack has chosen a representative selection of passages from all books of the Histoire that shows the breadth and scope of the work. His translation into English of these from the standard enlarged 1780 edition captures all the vitality and passion of Raynal and his co-authors (including Diderot) and highlights just why this book had such a profound and enduring impact. A helpful and detailed Introduction sets the work in its historical and philosophical context. As well as making available one of the key radical works of the later eighteenth century, this edition reveals much about the impact of foreign countries and cultures on Enlightenment thinking. Dealing with the activities of all the main European colonial powers, France, Spain, Britain, The Netherlands and Portugal, it reveals much about their trading and imperial ventures across the East Indies and Americas, and the effect this was to have on both sides of the Atlantic. As such this edition will prove invaluable for all students and scholars interested in eighteenth-century colonialism, political theory, the history of foreign trade, slavery or Enlightenment philosophy.
Biography
Professor Peter Jimack is Emeritus Professor of French at the University of Stirling, UK, and Professorial Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow, UK.
'Jimack ... presents an engaging perspective on modernization in this abridged translation of Raynal's Histoire philosophique et politique des établissements des Européens dans les Deux Indes....thoroughly absorbing. Highly recommended. All libraries...' Choice 'With this useful volume we can now teach a much more balanced version of the most influential Enlightenment commentary on seaborne European imperialism.' International Journal of Maritime History ’...this volume of extracts (translated by the editor) will be immensely valuable to readers across a wide range of disciplines.’ Forum for Modern Languages ’Jimack's introduction is superbly achieved by establishing the political significance and historical context of the Histoire in its day while also summarising the current historiographical debates that surround the work... In addition to identifying the passages written by Raynal's collaborators, Jimack's footnotes provide ample factual information regarding exchange rates, historical personages, and clarifications of events described in the text, especially when it is factually inaccurate or misleading. A short by useful bibliography is also included... this book is highly recommended for undergraduate and graduate courses on colonialism, the Enlightenment, and European intellectual history.’ Itinerario