On Reading Wills and Probates as Sources of History

Ever wondered how a person’s will and bequest, something that a person leaves behind after their passing away, allow us to extract vital information about that person, their opinions, affinities and proclivities? Ruchika Sharma’s Concubinage, Race and Law in Early Colonial Bengal is a groundbreaking scholarly work that sheds light on the complex interplay of gender, race, class and power dynamics in early colonial India by closely reading through the legal archives of colonial Bengal. Through meticulous research and rigorous analysis, Sharma unravels the intricate legal and social implications of concubinage, a practice that existed at the intersection of intimacy and exploitation. The book delves deep into the archives of early colonial Bengal and in particular the legal archives accessed from the Calcutta High Court, which was then the Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William, unveiling a world where European men engaged in concubinage with native women, blurring the lines between companionship and servitude.