2009-10 AM Fictions of India - Expert Group on History
Expert Group on History
KIM
cf. page 46: Indian Mutiny 1857-8 Indians first war of independence Result: housecleaning of the Indian administration, the direct rule
cf. page 108: The Big War 1878-1880 Second Afghan war The first of three Interventions of the British Empire in Afghanistan to save their supremacy and stop the Russian expansion = Great Game
The Great Game was an expression for the battle between Great Britain and Russia for the dominance over Central Asia during 1813 - 1947. It came into mainstream consciousness becasue of the novel.
SALMAN RUSHDIE - MIDNIGHTS CHILDREN (1981)
Events in (Indian) history with connection to the plot:
Adaam Aziz returns to Kashmir (5) Ghandi returns to India in 1915
Aadam examines his future wife through a perforated sheet (26) WWI
Sees her face when she has a headache (28) End of WWII
They marry and move to Amritzar Public and peaceful mourning over the continuing presence of the British (37) Protests against the Rowlett Act
April 13th 1919: peaceful protests, Aadam sneezes and stumbles, rescued by his nose Jallianwallah Bagh massacre. Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer and his troops open fire on unarmed croud