| Summary: |
Audio recording of oral history interview with Leslie J. Johnson, covering the period 1914-1947.
Cassette side OA1/37/1: Brief career summary. Impressions of British gleaned from father's relationship with them as surveyor. Lack of contact with British as a child. Education at Irish school. Accompanying father on jungle surveys. Experiences at Government College, Lahore illustrating differing British attitudes to Anglo-Indians. Decision to apply to Indian Civil Service; entrance procedure; importance of being right 'type'.
Cassette side OA1/37/2: Definition of right 'type'; using viva to handicap unsuitable candidates. Iniquities and strain of exams. Description of viva.
Cassette side OA1/37/3: Effects on viva result of Anglo-Indian origin. Admission to New College, Oxford. Recollections of voyage to England and return in 1939: contrasting attitudes to recruits of ICS officers on board; tension caused by outbreak of war; recreations; social divisions. Extent and nature of fraternisation with Indians of different levels of British society in India. Description of first station at Benares: social and educative importance of club; bungalows. Importance of standards and familiar surroundings to British.
Cassette side OA1/37/4: British disapproval of going 'native' in contrast to former practices; rarity of fluent grasp of Indian languages. Description of typical Indian household: hierarchy amongst servants; relationship between servants and masters. British attitudes to food, drink and clothes. Servants' attitudes to lapses in masters' morality.
Cassette side OA1/37/5: Role of British women in household; methods of shopping. Conscientious work of Indian clerks. Story illustrating attitude of Indian lawyers; Johnson's reform of his court's procedures. British children. Encounters between British and Indians. British holidays; British attitude to Indian festivals. Indian attitude to Indian Army. Touring: advantages of horse travel; short tours; circuit tours; role of tours.
Cassette side OA1/37/6: Continues description of touring: audiences; size of collector's entourage; shooting on tour; entertaining local dignitaries. Sleeping outside dak bungalows during hot weather. Collectors' private hobbies. Indian bird calls. Difficulty of touring during monsoon. Stories of British eccentrics. British recreations and sport; stories illustrating insights collector gained visiting region ostensibly for hunting game.
Cassette side OA1/37/7: Prestige of shooting tiger; description of tiger and duck shooting. Sporting guns. Collecting information on shooting vacations. Personal arms. British and Indian attitudes to each other's cultures. Reasons British generally preferred Muslims to Hindus. British attitude to Indian religions; conflicts between Hindus and Muslims. Indian attitude to Christianity; fear of missionary element. Dedicated work of mission hospitals.
Cassette side OA1/37/8: British social contacts with Indians; collectors needing to be aloof but approachable. Rarity with which British used servants' personal names. Limited contacts between British and Indian women. British social contacts with Indians; restrictions of purdah; Indian disgust at 'shameless' British women. British attitude to sexual relations with Indian women; comparison with American attitude. Highlights of Johnson's career: work as district officer; villagers' gratitude. Unpleasant memories of India. Story of incidents whilst detaining congressmen during 1942 disturbances near Ranikhet.
Cassette side OA1/37/9: Continues story of 1942 disturbance. Indian acceptance of impartial officers. Morality of Ranikhet British community. British attitude to Indians; stories illustrating Johnson's social estrangement as an Anglo-Indian. Story of Johnson's handling of court case involving British soldiers. Ambiguous position of Anglo-Indians. Breaking society's racial barriers as an individual. Rarity and exceptional nature of British who went 'native'. R10 Recollections of British misfits; story of man mistaking courtesy gift for bribe. Restriction of British brutality to army and police; reprisals after 1942 disturbances. Admiration for role of district magistrates in British administrative system; freedom of action within general guidelines; example of such action during cholera outbreak. Opinions on legacies of Raj: legal system; concern for people; institutions. R11
Cassette side OA1/37/10: Recollections of British misfits; story of man mistaking courtesy gift for bribe. Restriction of British brutality to army and police; reprisals after 1942 disturbances. Admiration for role of district magistrates in British admin
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| Main author: |
Johnson; Leslie James (fl 1914-1972); District Officer, Indian Civil Service |
| Other authors: |
Allen; Charles (b 1940); historian and interviewer |
| Extent: |
4 hr. 32 min.
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| Admin history: |
British civilian District Officer in Indian Civil Service. |
| Access status: |
Closed
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| Access conditions: |
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: C1510/37/01-10. For more details see www.bl.uk/listening or contact listening@bl.uk / 020 7412 7418.
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| Copyright: |
Copyright held by British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) |
| User restrictions: |
Private study only. For publication or broadcast please refer to Archivist |
| Language: |
English
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| Copies: |
Copy available at British Library Listening & Viewing Service. Reference: C1510/37/01-10
Copy available at Imperial War Museum. Reference: 004936/10 |
| Related material: |
Transcript available at SOAS Library. Reference: OA1/37/T |
| Format: |
Archive
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