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This definition is a constitutional one and makes no reference to female ancestry. It has been  argued as being somewhat limited and it is not unusual for  those with such European descent lying in the female  line to regard their ancestress as Anglo Indian  for genealogical purposes.  
This definition is a constitutional one and makes no reference to female ancestry. It has been  argued as being somewhat limited and it is not unusual for  those with such European descent lying in the female  line to regard their ancestress as Anglo Indian  for genealogical purposes.  


The term Anglo Indian meaning a person of mixed race heritage was used in the Schedules of the 1911 Census,<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=DEAlCTxJowUC&pg=PA81 “Anglo-Indian”] page 81 ‪''People of India: Maharashtra, Part 1''‬ by B. V. Bhanu Google Books</ref> and from that time became the accepted term. Prior to that terms such as Eurasian, East-Indian, Indo-Briton, Country-Born,  and  'Blue-skin' were used.<ref>Murphy, Sylvia. [https://lists.rootsweb.com/hyperkitty/list/india@rootsweb.com/thread/1663155/  The East Indian Community near Vasai and Mumbai] Scroll down. ''Rootsweb India Mailing List'', 7 March 2010. Retrieved 5 September 2018.</ref>
The term Anglo Indian meaning a person of mixed race heritage was used in the Schedules of the 1911 Census,<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=DEAlCTxJowUC&pg=PA81 “Anglo-Indian”] page 81 ‪''People of India: Maharashtra, Part 1''‬ by B. V. Bhanu Google Books</ref> and from that time became the accepted term. Prior to that terms such as Eurasian, East-Indian, Indo-Briton, Country-Born,  and  'Blue-skin' were used.<ref>Murphy, Sylvia. [https://web.archive.org/web/20180905140148/https://lists.rootsweb.com/hyperkitty/list/india@rootsweb.com/thread/1663155/  The East Indian Community near Vasai and Mumbai] Scroll down. ''Rootsweb India Mailing List'', 7 March 2010, now archived.</ref>


==Marriage==
==Marriage==
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By the period 1816-1820 there were  more European women in India. By 1820 it had become socially unacceptable for any officer or official to marry an Indian.
By the period 1816-1820 there were  more European women in India. By 1820 it had become socially unacceptable for any officer or official to marry an Indian.


Almost as bigger barrier to intermarriage was the Indian attitude. Any Hindu women who went with a British man lost caste immediately. She was cast out of her family and village. Consequently only those at the bottom of Indian society could ever see a British soldier as a advantageous marriage candidate.<ref>Balmer, Nick. [https://lists.rootsweb.com/hyperkitty/list/india@rootsweb.com/thread/2839017/  Anglo-Indians and the established churches] ''Rootsweb India Mailing List'' 9 March 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2018.</ref> However, for those with financial resources, it appears that it may have been possible  to regain caste, as one will specifies an amount "for the purpose of restoring to her her cast".<ref>Murphy, Sylvia. [https://lists.rootsweb.com/hyperkitty/list/india@rootsweb.com/thread/2840383/ Loss of Cast] ''Rootsweb India Mailing List'' 14 November 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2018.</ref>. On the Malabar and Coromandel Coasts prior to c 1820, it is suspected that the intermarriages may have included some high caste Hindus.<ref>Balmer, Nicholas.  [https://lists.rootsweb.com/hyperkitty/list/india.rootsweb.com/thread/4207842/ India Princess]  ''Rootsweb India Mailing List'' 8 February 2007. Retrieved 26 February 2020.</ref>
Almost as bigger barrier to intermarriage was the Indian attitude. Any Hindu women who went with a British man lost caste immediately. She was cast out of her family and village. Consequently only those at the bottom of Indian society could ever see a British soldier as a advantageous marriage candidate.<ref>Balmer, Nick. [https://web.archive.org/web/20180905135737/https://lists.rootsweb.com/hyperkitty/list/india@rootsweb.com/thread/2839017/  Anglo-Indians and the established churches] ''Rootsweb India Mailing List'' 9 March 2008, now archived.</ref> However, for those with financial resources, it appears that it may have been possible  to regain caste, as one will specifies an amount "for the purpose of restoring to her her cast".<ref>Murphy, Sylvia. [https://web.archive.org/web/20180905213636/https://lists.rootsweb.com/hyperkitty/list/india@rootsweb.com/thread/2840383/ Loss of Cast] ''Rootsweb India Mailing List'' 14 November 2008, now archived.</ref>. On the Malabar and Coromandel Coasts prior to c 1820, it is suspected that the intermarriages may have included some high caste Hindus.<ref>Balmer, Nicholas.  [https://web.archive.org/web/20200226035044/https://lists.rootsweb.com/hyperkitty/list/india.rootsweb.com/thread/4207842/ India Princess]  ''Rootsweb India Mailing List'' 8 February 2007, now archived.</ref>


== FIBIS Fact Files No 1 ==
== FIBIS Fact Files No 1 ==
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*See also list of titles under the “Anglo-Indians”  section of [http://www.wiki.fibis.org/index.php?title=Society_reading_list FIBIS  Society Reading List]
*See also list of titles under the “Anglo-Indians”  section of [http://www.wiki.fibis.org/index.php?title=Society_reading_list FIBIS  Society Reading List]


== External Links ==
== External links ==
*[http://madrasmusings.com/Vol%2020%20No%2012/the-anglo-indians-of-madras.html "The Anglo -Indians of Madras"] from Madras Musings dated October 1-15, 2010
*[http://madrasmusings.com/Vol%2020%20No%2012/the-anglo-indians-of-madras.html "The Anglo -Indians of Madras"] from Madras Musings dated October 1-15, 2010
*[http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/of-a-community-and-culture/article6360495.ece "Of a community and culture"] by Esther Elias August 28, 2014 ''The Hindu''. Notes from S. Muthiah’s lecture on the 500-year history of Anglo-Indians in India  
*[http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/of-a-community-and-culture/article6360495.ece "Of a community and culture"] by Esther Elias August 28, 2014 ''The Hindu''. Notes from S. Muthiah’s lecture on the 500-year history of Anglo-Indians in India  
*[http://home.alphalink.com.au/~agilbert Anglo Indian Home Page] includes:
*[https://international-journal-of-anglo-indian-studies.org/index.php/IJAIS International Journal of Anglo Indian Studies] covers many subjects and includes :-
:*"Some Comments on stereotypes of the Anglo-Indians" by Megan Stuart Mills from the ''International Journal of Anglo-Indian Studies'' 1996. [http://home.alphalink.com.au/~agilbert/jmills1.html Part 1] includes a list of books and [http://home.alphalink.com.au/~agilbert/mills1.html Part 2] includes a section on the army in World War I, mentioning conscription, and, in section 9, railway people.
:*[https://international-journal-of-anglo-indian-studies.org/index.php/IJAIS/article/view/122 "Christopher Hawes in Conversation with Glenn D'cruz"]  ''The International Journal of Anglo-Indian Studies'' Volume 3, Number 1, 1998
:*A [http://home.alphalink.com.au/~agilbert/books.html listing] of Books on Anglo-Indian Culture and History January 1997 by Withbert Payne
:*[https://international-journal-of-anglo-indian-studies.org/index.php/IJAIS/article/view/153 "Beyond "Cotton Mary": Anglo-Indian Categories and Reclaiming the Diverse Past"] by Adrian Carton ''The International Journal of Anglo-Indian Studies'' Volume 5, Number 1, 2000. Includes mention of the Portuguese, Dutch and Danish in India.
:*[http://home.alphalink.com.au/~agilbert/hawesint.html "Christopher Hawes in Conversation with Glenn D'cruz"]  ''The International Journal of Anglo-Indian Studies'' Volume 3, Number 1, 1998
:*[https://international-journal-of-anglo-indian-studies.org/index.php/IJAIS/article/view/169 "On Jamalpur - Anglo-Indian Railway"] by Blair Williams ''The International Journal of Anglo-Indian Studies'' Volume 6, Number 2, 2001
:*[http://home.alphalink.com.au/~agilbert/carton.html "Beyond "Cotton Mary": Anglo-Indian Categories and Reclaiming the Diverse Past"] by Adrian Carton ''The International Journal of Anglo-Indian Studies'' Volume 5, Number 1, 2000. Includes mention of the Portuguese, Dutch and Danish in India.
:*[https://international-journal-of-anglo-indian-studies.org/index.php/IJAIS/article/view/191 "The Curious Exclusion Of Anglo-Indians From Mass Slaughter During The Partition Of India"]. Experiences in India During 1947 of some who went to New Zealand by Dorothy McMenamin. ''The International Journal of Anglo-Indian Studies'' Volume 9, Number 1, 2006
:*[http://home.alphalink.com.au/~agilbert/onjama~1.html "EIR at Jamalpur - Anglo-Indian Railway Officers"] by Blair Williams ''The International Journal of Anglo-Indian Studies'' Volume 6, Number 2, 2001
:*[https://international-journal-of-anglo-indian-studies.org/index.php/IJAIS/article/view/71 "Loyalty, Parity, and Social Control-The Competing Visions on the Creation of an ‘Eurasian’ Military Regiment in late British India"] by  Satoshi Mizutani  ''The International Journal of Anglo-Indian Studies'' Volume 10, No. 1, 2010
:*[http://home.alphalink.com.au/~agilbert/curious.html "The Curious Exclusion Of Anglo-Indians From Mass Slaughter During The Partition Of India"]. Experiences in India During 1947 of some who went to New Zealand by Dorothy McMenamin. ''The International Journal of Anglo-Indian Studies'' Volume 9, Number 1, 2006
:*[https://international-journal-of-anglo-indian-studies.org/index.php/IJAIS/article/view/62   "The Origins of The Anglo-Indians"] by Sheila Pais James ''The International Journal of Anglo-Indian Studies'' Volume 10, Number 2, 2010
:*[http://home.alphalink.com.au/~agilbert/satoshi.html "Loyalty, Parity, and Social Control-The Competing Visions on the Creation of an ‘Eurasian’ Military Regiment in late British India"] by  Satoshi Mizutani  ''The International Journal of Anglo-Indian Studies'' Volume 10, No. 1, 2010
:*[http://home.alphalink.com.au/~agilbert/whoare1.html   "The Origins of The Anglo-Indians"] by Sheila Pais James ''The International Journal of Anglo-Indian Studies'' Volume 10, Number 2, 2010
*[http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/13525 ''The Eurasian Problem In Nineteenth Century India''] by Valerie E.R. Anderson 2011. A thesis in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in History , School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Contains a link to a pdf download.
*[http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/13525 ''The Eurasian Problem In Nineteenth Century India''] by Valerie E.R. Anderson 2011. A thesis in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in History , School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Contains a link to a pdf download.
**[http://valanderson.weebly.com Anglo-Indians and Eurasians in Nineteenth Century India] Website of Val Anderson. Includes a paper "Religion and Race: Eurasians in colonial India"
**[http://valanderson.weebly.com Anglo-Indians and Eurasians in Nineteenth Century India] Website of Val Anderson. Includes a paper "Religion and Race: Eurasians in colonial India"
*[http://dissertationreviews.org/archives/13928 "Decolonising Anglo-Indians"]  by Swati Chawla. April 25, 2016. dissertationreviews.org.  An article about  a University of Oxford dissertation by Uther E. Charlton-Stevens which is is a thorough investigation of the position and politics of Anglo-Indians in late colonial India.
*[http://dissertationreviews.org/archives/13928 "Decolonising Anglo-Indians"]  by Swati Chawla. April 25, 2016. dissertationreviews.org.  An article about  a University of Oxford dissertation by Uther E. Charlton-Stevens which is is a thorough investigation of the position and politics of Anglo-Indians in late colonial India.
*Russell and Enid Fonceca’s [http://www.sumgenius.com.au/ Anglo-Indian family trees and their links]
*Russell and Enid Fonceca’s [https://www.anglofamilytrees.com Anglo-Indian family trees and their links]. Is any of the internal links no longer work, try an an earlier [https://web.archive.org/web/20161129231810/https://www.anglofamilytrees.com/ archived version] of the website.
*[http://members.optusnet.com.au/~lyonsfab/article_rail_journeys.htm "The Many Rail Journeys Leading To Allahabad"] by Esther Mary Lyons from her website.
**[https://www.anglofamilytrees.com/anglo_indians_of_calcutta.htm "Anglo Indians of Calcutta"]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20171123235553/http://members.optusnet.com.au/~lyonsfab/article_rail_journeys.htm "The Many Rail Journeys Leading To Allahabad"] by Esther Mary Lyons from her website, now archived.
:[https://web.archive.org/web/20150328085827/http://www.sumgenius.com.au/allahabad_railway.htm "Experience of Living in a Railway Colony in Allahabad"] by Esther Mary Lyons, now archived.
:[https://web.archive.org/web/20150328085827/http://www.sumgenius.com.au/allahabad_railway.htm "Experience of Living in a Railway Colony in Allahabad"] by Esther Mary Lyons, now archived.
*[http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/bldept/apac/saalg/issue3.pdf "Children of the Raj"] (pdf) by Vyvyen Brendon (2006) has some references to Anglo Indian children
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160804010001/http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/bldept/apac/saalg/issue3.pdf "Children of the Raj"] by Vyvyen Brendon (2006) from a  SAALG Newsletter, British Library archived webpage, has some references to Anglo Indian children.
*[http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2002/dec/09/britishidentity.india "White Mischief"] by William Dalrymple in ''The Guardian'' (9 Dec 2002).  The author of ''White Mughals'' writes about the book and mixed marriages in India.
*[http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2002/dec/09/britishidentity.india "White Mischief"] by William Dalrymple in ''The Guardian'' (9 Dec 2002).  The author of ''White Mughals'' writes about the book and mixed marriages in India.
*[http://www.britainsdna.com/royal-revelation How BritainsDNA discovered Prince William's unknown genetic inheritance] www.britainsdna.com and [https://www.facebook.com/fibis.org/photos_stream#!/photo.php?fbid=10151537908578881&set=pb.24704988880.-2207520000.1371369427.&type=3&theater image of the  Seurat baptismal record at the British Library] FIBIS on Facebook
*[http://www.britainsdna.com/royal-revelation How BritainsDNA discovered Prince William's unknown genetic inheritance] www.britainsdna.com and [https://www.facebook.com/fibis.org/photos_stream#!/photo.php?fbid=10151537908578881&set=pb.24704988880.-2207520000.1371369427.&type=3&theater image of the  Seurat baptismal record at the British Library] FIBIS on Facebook
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*[http://astrotalkuk.org/2014/05/06/indias-forgotten-rocketeer-2/ "Stephen H Smith – India’s forgotten rocketeer"]  [1891-1951] by Gurbir Singh. astrotalkuk.org. Smith was Anglo Indian. He conducted numerous practical experiments to understand and promulgate the potential of rocket power as a mechanism for transport. Smith launched almost 300 rockets between 1934 and 1945 working mostly unfunded and primarily alone. He also  founded,  during the 1920s,  the Calcutta Philatelic Club and the Aero Philatelic Club of India.  
*[http://astrotalkuk.org/2014/05/06/indias-forgotten-rocketeer-2/ "Stephen H Smith – India’s forgotten rocketeer"]  [1891-1951] by Gurbir Singh. astrotalkuk.org. Smith was Anglo Indian. He conducted numerous practical experiments to understand and promulgate the potential of rocket power as a mechanism for transport. Smith launched almost 300 rockets between 1934 and 1945 working mostly unfunded and primarily alone. He also  founded,  during the 1920s,  the Calcutta Philatelic Club and the Aero Philatelic Club of India.  
*Alistair Mcgowan’s story from [http://www.bbc.co.uk/whodoyouthinkyouare/past-stories/alistair-mcgowan.shtml  Who Do You Think You Are?]
*Alistair Mcgowan’s story from [http://www.bbc.co.uk/whodoyouthinkyouare/past-stories/alistair-mcgowan.shtml  Who Do You Think You Are?]
*[http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/history/1950s/1213-anglo-indians.html Anglo Indians in the IAF [Indian Air Force<nowiki>]</nowiki>] bharat-rakshak.com
*Article [http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/aug/25/alison-mcqueen-secret-mother-assam-india?fb=optOut  "My mother's mysterious past"] by  Alison McQueen ''The Guardian'', Saturday 25 August 2012
*Article [http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/aug/25/alison-mcqueen-secret-mother-assam-india?fb=optOut  "My mother's mysterious past"] by  Alison McQueen ''The Guardian'', Saturday 25 August 2012
*[http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/dna-unlocks-family-secrets-of-the-chinese-juggler-the-enigmatic-sea-captain-and-more/article10240050/?page=all  DNA unlocks family secrets of the Chinese juggler, the enigmatic sea-captain and more] Carolyn Abraham’s family were Anglo Indians who had lived in railway colonies. www.theglobeandmail.com. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150211145938/http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/books/2013/04/12/carolyn-abraham-solving-family-mysteries-with-dna  Carolyn Abraham: Solving family mysteries with DNA], now an archived page,  and a [http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2376183679  podcast of a radio interview], [http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/carolyn-abraham-solving-family-mysteries-with-dna-1.1632965 2nd link same interview] www.cbc.ca
*[http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/dna-unlocks-family-secrets-of-the-chinese-juggler-the-enigmatic-sea-captain-and-more/article10240050/?page=all  DNA unlocks family secrets of the Chinese juggler, the enigmatic sea-captain and more] Carolyn Abraham’s family were Anglo Indians who had lived in railway colonies. www.theglobeandmail.com. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150211145938/http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/books/2013/04/12/carolyn-abraham-solving-family-mysteries-with-dna  Carolyn Abraham: Solving family mysteries with DNA], now an archived page,  and a [http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2376183679  podcast of a radio interview], [http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/carolyn-abraham-solving-family-mysteries-with-dna-1.1632965 2nd link same interview] www.cbc.ca

Latest revision as of 22:03, 18 July 2023

See also

Definition of Anglo-Indian

Section 366 of the Constitution of India (1950) states

“"An Anglo-Indian means a person whose father or any of whose other male progenitors in the male line is or was of European descent, but who is domiciled within the territory of India and is or was born within such territory of parents habitually resident therein and not established there for temporary purposes only."

This definition is a constitutional one and makes no reference to female ancestry. It has been argued as being somewhat limited and it is not unusual for those with such European descent lying in the female line to regard their ancestress as Anglo Indian for genealogical purposes.

The term Anglo Indian meaning a person of mixed race heritage was used in the Schedules of the 1911 Census,[1] and from that time became the accepted term. Prior to that terms such as Eurasian, East-Indian, Indo-Briton, Country-Born, and 'Blue-skin' were used.[2]

Marriage

The only way a British man could marry legally in India was for both bride and groom to be Christian, and to marry in a Christian church ceremony. In some cases a European groom became a Moslem, and married in a Moslem ceremony. However, in terms of British law, he was not considered to be married.

Prior to about 1815, there were many mixed race marriages between British soldiers and Indian, or Indo-Portuguese women. However the opinion in Britain was strongly against such mixed marriage, and a soldier with an Indian wife could not return to Britain with her.

By the period 1816-1820 there were more European women in India. By 1820 it had become socially unacceptable for any officer or official to marry an Indian.

Almost as bigger barrier to intermarriage was the Indian attitude. Any Hindu women who went with a British man lost caste immediately. She was cast out of her family and village. Consequently only those at the bottom of Indian society could ever see a British soldier as a advantageous marriage candidate.[3] However, for those with financial resources, it appears that it may have been possible to regain caste, as one will specifies an amount "for the purpose of restoring to her her cast".[4]. On the Malabar and Coromandel Coasts prior to c 1820, it is suspected that the intermarriages may have included some high caste Hindus.[5]

FIBIS Fact Files No 1

Researching Anglo-Indian Ancestry 2009 21pp.
Essential for any family historian with blended ethnicity. The booklet contains two expanded and updated articles previously published in the FIBIS Journal: "The children of John Company : the Anglo-Indians" by Geraldine Charles, and "A Luso-Indian voyage" by Cliff Pereira. These two authorities provide invaluable information: definitions of the various terms used for those of mixed race in the Indian sub-continent, a brief background history of these communities, reading lists, and, by using their own families as a basis, a demonstration of how to effectively research Anglo-Indian ancestors.
Available from the FIBIS Shop.

Recommended reading

  • Bear, Laura Lines of the Nation (New York: Columbia, 2007) [essential but uncomfortable reading for Anglo-Indians with railway roots].
  • See also list of titles under the “Anglo-Indians” section of FIBIS Society Reading List

External links

"Experience of Living in a Railway Colony in Allahabad" by Esther Mary Lyons, now archived.

Historical books online

  • "The East Indian Community" Calcutta Review, Volume 11 January-June 1849. (Google Books)
  • "Eurasians of Madras and Malabar" by Edgar Thurston pages 69-114 Madras Government Museum Bulletin Vol II, No 2 1898 Archive.org
  • The Queen's Daughters in India by Elizabeth W. Andrew and Katharine C. Bushnell 1899 Archive.org. Investigation and Report by two American missionaries into the government sanctioned brothels in British Army cantonments, set up under the Cantonment Act 1864. Page 52 states that many of the prostitutes were the offspring of British men
  • "The Eurasian Problem in India" by A Nundy, Barrister-at Law page 56 The Imperial and Asiatic Quarterly Review and Oriental and Colonial Record New Series Volume IX January-April 1900 Archive.org
  • The Domiciled European and Anglo-Indian Race of India by Millicent Boddington Wilson. However, the British Library catalogue states "the 3rd ed. (1929?) states that although earlier editions were published in the name of M.B. Wilson, the book was actually written by her brother J.B. Smart". The 1928 edition is available Archive.org version, mirror from Digital Library of India.
  • Britain’s Betrayal In India: The Story of the Anglo-Indian Community by Frank Anthony 1960. Archive.org version, mirror from Digital Library of India.

References

  1. “Anglo-Indian” page 81 ‪People of India: Maharashtra, Part 1‬ by B. V. Bhanu Google Books
  2. Murphy, Sylvia. The East Indian Community near Vasai and Mumbai Scroll down. Rootsweb India Mailing List, 7 March 2010, now archived.
  3. Balmer, Nick. Anglo-Indians and the established churches Rootsweb India Mailing List 9 March 2008, now archived.
  4. Murphy, Sylvia. Loss of Cast Rootsweb India Mailing List 14 November 2008, now archived.
  5. Balmer, Nicholas. India Princess Rootsweb India Mailing List 8 February 2007, now archived.