| Summary: |
Audio recording of oral history interview with Philip Mason, covering the period 1928-1947.
Cassette side OA1/43/1: Reasons for desire to go to India: Kipling's influence; political challenge of devolution. Attitude to Indian career. Ambition to join Indian Civil Service; Kipling's attitude to ICS. Preparative year at Oxford; learning Persian. Voyage to India. Choice of United Provinces as posting. Attitudes of new ICS officers. Posting to Saharanpur: its advantages; recollections of local community. Reception on arrival in Saharanpur; haphazard training. Typical court cases; caste conflicts.
Cassette side OA1/43/2: Considerations in making judgements and deciding land ownership as district magistrate. Indian social hierarchy. Stories of local Indian dignitaries illustrating different attitudes to Raj, Congress and tenants. Continual trouble between Hindus and Muslims; problems with religious festivals. Creating arbitrary rules in clearing backlog of revenue cases at Mason's first court.
Cassette side OA1/43/3: British society at Saharanpur: drinking habits; illustrations of club atmosphere. Differing atmosphere of Bareilly; daily routine; visiting club. Reading habits. Protocol and sexual morality. Criteria for club membership. Prevailing cult of masculinity. General interest in eccentrics. Opinion that sexual immorality was rare. Misfits of society. Sexual mores at hill stations. Posting to Garhwal; map making responsibilities of post.
Cassette side OA1/43/4: Increased touring to supervise survey teams; villagers' dogmatic approach to disputes. Medical duties. Liking for hill people. Indian schools. British attitudes to educated Indians; teasing court clerks. Sympathy for Congress; poor intellectual quality of some members; Congress members' farcical inspection of map making. Attitude towards onset of independence; returning home 1947. Stories illustrating British position in India. Benefits of Raj; Indian adoption of western ideas. Benefits of service in India.
Cassette side OA1/43/5: Indian concepts of time and fate; illustrative story. Leaving Defence Department of Government of India; obtaining temporary post as tutor to princes of Hyderabad. Technique of dealing with Indians. Evocative smells and sounds of India. High quality of servants. Story illustrating continuing confidence in dealings with Indians after 1947.
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| Main author: |
Mason; Philip (1906-1999); Defence Department Officer, Government of India |
| Other authors: |
Allen; Charles (b 1940); historian and interviewer |
| Extent: |
2 hr. 30 min.
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| Admin history: |
British civilian in Defence Department, Indian Government. |
| 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: C1510/43/01-05. 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: C1510/43/01-05
Copy available at Imperial War Museum. Reference: 004942/05 |
| Related material: |
Transcript available at SOAS Library. Reference: OA1/43/T |
| Format: |
Archive
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