Interview with Raj Chatterjee [sound recording]

Audio recording of oral history interview with Raj Chatterjee, covering the period 1930-1947. Cassette side OA1/15/1: First contacts with British; awed reaction. Entering Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun 1933; premature ending of army career; studying in London for Indian Civil Service exams; fai...

Full description

Archive & Special Collections OA1/15/1-4 Closed

Date(s) of creation: 1972-1974
Level: Item
Format: Archive           
Main author: Chatterjee; Raj (1915-2011); manager of Imperial Tobacco India
Other authors: Allen; Charles (b 1940); historian and interviewer

collection SOAS Archive
id OA1.15.1-4
recordtype archive
scb_item_location Archive & Special Collections
item_location Archive & Special Collections
scb_loan_type Reference only
callnumber OA1/15/1-4
callnumber_txt OA1/15/1-4
callnumber-sort OA1/15/1-4
prefix_number 1-4
title Interview with Raj Chatterjee [sound recording]
scb_date_creation 1972-1974
scb_level Item
level_sort 8/Collection/Sub-Collection/Sub-Sub-Collection/Sub-Sub-Sub-Collection/Series/Sub-Series/Sub-Sub-Series/File/Item
scb_extent 2 hr. approx.
author Chatterjee; Raj (1915-2011); manager of Imperial Tobacco India
author_facet Chatterjee; Raj (1915-2011); manager of Imperial Tobacco India
Allen; Charles (b 1940); historian and interviewer
authorStr Chatterjee; Raj (1915-2011); manager of Imperial Tobacco India
author_letter Chatterjee; Raj (1915-2011); manager of Imperial Tobacco India
author2 Allen; Charles (b 1940); historian and interviewer
author2Str Allen; Charles (b 1940); historian and interviewer
format Archive
scb_admin_history Indian manager of Imperial Tobacco in India.
description Audio recording of oral history interview with Raj Chatterjee, covering the period 1930-1947. Cassette side OA1/15/1: First contacts with British; awed reaction. Entering Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun 1933; premature ending of army career; studying in London for Indian Civil Service exams; failure. Effect of radio broadcasts of George V's death; abdication of Edward VIII 1936. Voyages to India. Description of recruitment into Imperial Tobacco in Delhi. Assignments whilst training. Cassette side OA1/15/2: Qualities of British. Touring: contacts with ICS; dak bungalows. British lifestyle; household arrangements. Eating and drinking habits. Office clothing and evening attire. Story of wearing inappropriate clothes. Peshawar club's reluctance to accept Indian members. Attitude of officers to clerks. Formality of mess life. British children's relationship with Indians. Increased contacts between British and Indians in 1930s as British realised growing weakness of their position. British and Indian holiday celebrations. Cassette side OA1/15/3: Military parades; Indian respect for Indian Army. British sports and recreations. Opinion that British were not notably eccentric. British and Indian attitudes to each other's culture. British hospitals. Social contacts between British and Indians; recollections of British friends; contacts between British and Indian women. Duties on sales staff of Imperial Tobacco; enjoyment of touring. Cassette side OA1/15/4: Touring Peshawar area during unrest 1938. Increased responsibilities during Second World War; staying with British superior after marriage. Posting to Bombay 1942. Touring in Goa. Enjoyment of work. Opinion that British betrayed India by leaving too soon. British morality. Anglo- Indians. Restrained nature of British friendliness to Indians. Britons admired by Indians. Incidents of British cruelty and discrimination. Chatterjee's British subordinates. Changes in British people since 1947. Legacy of Raj. Incidents typifying relationship with British. Club life. Feelings on night of independence.
scb_access_status Closed
scb_conditions_gov_access Access to sound recording of this interview is currently unavailable at SOAS Library. The transcript can be consulted. Researchers can access a copy of this sound recording at the British Library Listening & Viewing Service. Reference: C1510/15/01-04. For more details see www.bl.uk/listening or contact listening@bl.uk / 020 7412 7418.
scb_copyright Copyright held by British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
scb_use_restrictions Private study only. For publication or broadcast please refer to Archivist
language English
language_search English
scb_copies Copy available at British Library Listening & Viewing Service. Reference: C1510/15/01-04 Copy available at Imperial War Museum. Reference: 004914/04
scb_related_material Transcript available at SOAS Library. Reference: OA1/15/T
hierarchy_top_id_raw OA1
hierarchy_sequence OA1.0015.001-4

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