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      • Trusted Partner
        Humanities & Social Sciences
        March 2017

        Jute and empire

        by Andrew Thompson, John M. MacKenzie, Gordon Stewart

        Dundee had an interesting role to play in the jute trade, but the main player in the story of jute was Calcutta. This book follows the relationship of jute to empire, and discusses the rivalry between the Scottish and Indian cities from the 1840s to the 1950s and reveals the architecture of jute's place in the British Empire. The book adopts significant fresh approaches to imperial history, and explores the economic and cultural landscapes of the British Empire. Jute had been grown, spun and woven in Bengal for centuries before it made its appearance as a factory-manufactured product in world markets in the late 1830s. The book discusses the profits made in Calcutta during the rise of jute between the 1880s and 1920s; the profits reached extraordinary levels during and after World War I. The Calcutta jute industry entered a crisis period even before it was pummelled by the depression of the 1930s. The looming crisis stemmed from the potential of the Calcutta mills to outproduce world demand many times over. The St Andrew's Day rituals in Calcutta, begun three years before the founding of the Indian Jute Mills Association. The ceremonial occasion helps the reader to understand what the jute wallahs meant when they said they were in Calcutta for 'the greater glory of Scotland'. The book sheds some light on the contentious issues surrounding the problematic, if ever-intriguing, phenomenon of British Empire. The jute wallahs were inextricably bound up in the cultural self-images generated by British imperial ideology.

      • Trusted Partner
        July 2018

        Practical Feline Behaviour

        Understanding Cat Behaviour and Improving Welfare

        by Trudi Atkinson

        Practical Feline Behaviour contains all the relevant information that a veterinary nurse or technician needs to understand and handle the behaviour and welfare of house cats, and to offer safe and practical advice to clients. There have been ground-breaking advances in our understanding of feline behaviour in recent years and, to protect the welfare of cats, it is increasingly important that anyone involved with their care, especially those in a professional capacity, keep up to date with these developments. This approachable and down-to-earth text describes the internal and external influences on feline behaviour; on communication, learning, social behaviour, the relationship between behaviour and disease, and the cat - human relationship. It also provides practical advice on how the welfare of cats in our care may be protected and how behaviour problems should be addressed and how to avoid them. In this book Trudi Atkinson draws on her extensive experience as a veterinary nurse and a Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist to provide a rapid reference and an intensely practical feline behaviour resource for owners, breeders, veterinary professionals, shelter and cattery workers and anyone involved in the care of our feline companions. - Practical, down to earth guide detailing all aspects of feline behaviour - Rapid reference for instant access to information - Written by a well-known animal behaviourist who has extensive experience in treating feline behaviour problems and in advising clients to protect the welfare of their cats - Includes a foreword by John Bradshaw, School of Veterinary Science at University of Bristol, UK

      • Trusted Partner
        May 2022

        Feline Reproduction

        by Aime Johnson, Michelle Kutzler

        Cats are one of the most popular pets in the world, and as homes become smaller, and single-person households become more common, it is predicted that the numbers being bred and kept will only grow. In Feline Reproduction, the global author team cover all aspects of reproduction in the queen and the tom. Beginning with basic anatomy and normal reproduction, it goes on to cover practical knowledge about pregnancy, neonatal care, breeding soundness exams, and semen cryopreservation. It also includes an overview of factors, diseases, and abnormal conditions affecting reproduction, such as infertility, causes of abortion and contraception. Covering both pet patients and nondomestic species, this book provides a thorough grounding in feline reproduction for the general veterinary practitioner, veterinary student, animal scientist, and experienced cat breeder.

      • Trusted Partner
        The Arts
        October 2018

        Glimpses of Gardens in Eastern China

        by TUNG Jun, TUNG Ming (translator)

        The architect Chuin Tung introduced the classic beauty of Chinese gardens to the world through this book The interest of garden appreciation: profound interpretation of the spirit and connotation of Chinese gardens  The method of gardening: comprehensive analysis of the details and techniques of garden construction (including architectural and planning, ornament and furniture, rockery, planting)  The history of gardens: detailing the difference between garden history and Eastern and Western gardens   建筑学界一代宗师童寯向世界介绍中国园林之美的经典著作 赏园之趣:深刻解读中国园林的精神与内涵 造园之法:全面分析园林营造的细节与技法(建筑与布局,装修与家具,叠石,植物配置) 园林之史:细述园林历史及东西方园林的区别

      • October 2020

        Voices of Komagata Maru Imperial Surveillance and Workers from Punjab in Bengal

        Imperial Surveillance and Workers from Punjab in Bengal

        by Suchetana Chattopadhyay

        How did trans-territorial tendencies of repression from above and resistance from below connect Bengal with Punjab, East Asia and the Americas? Focused on Bengal, this monograph acts as a link in the existing works of scholarship that have traced the spread of radical anticolonial currents which connected Punjab with Southeast and East Asia, and the Americas. Calcutta during the early twentieth century was not just a point of passage within the British empire, but a key centre of colonial power and a crucial laboratory of imperial repressive practices cultivated and applied elsewhere. The urban space and the hinterland served as zones of employment for migrant labour related to the powerful institutional edifices of colonial capital in eastern India with international reach across global markets. The histories of the Ghadar Movement or the Komagata Maru’s trail, while describing the circumstances in detail and offering rewarding perspectives on Punjabi Sikh migrants, have overlooked this aspect of concentrated colonial power in the city and the region, and failed to adequately investigate why the ship was brought to Bengal and why overwhelming imperial vigilance, locally organized, was imposed on the ships that arrived soon afterwards. Drawing on colonial archival records as well as the fragmentary references found in autobiographical accounts, the monograph steers the history of Komagata Maru’s journey in new directions. Radical responses to ‘racialized subjecthood’, imposed by the colonial state on Punjabi, especially Sikh, migrant workers in Calcutta and its suburbs during the First World War and the following decades are examined. Racist regulations of class, labour and social relationships underlined the politicization, self-awareness and formation of radical collectives among the migrants. Tracing the routes of self-assertion by workers from Punjab in Bengal at a micro-historical level, unknown and neglected aspects of the last stretch of Komagata Maru’s journey and its immediate and longterm local effects are unravelled. The monograph touches on the links between inter-imperial geographies of surveillance and monopolistic working of colonial capital, the responses of the local Hindu and Muslim intelligentsia to the ship’s controversial voyage, the voices of the detained passengers of Komagata Maru, and the entry of the Sikh working-class diaspora into local revolutionary, left and labour movements. The monograph engages with war-time Ghadar and post-war Punjab Kirti Dal and Naujawan Bharat Sabha’s influence on the actions of Sikh workers in south Bengal. Also recorded is the interplay between acts of recollection and regional constitution of radical circles and associations in the wake of the ship’s voyage.

      • Poetry
        January 2021

        Alone on the Aisle

        by Biman Saha

        Biman Saha’s collection of poems, Alone on the Aisle, vividly captures the heart of Bengali life and culture, where the Bengal terrain represents the canvas upon which he paints man’s drama, his despairs and his hopes. The landscapes so beautifully created here express a reverence for the homeland, a longing for times past. And yet, while Mr. Saha’s poems radiate a rich nostalgia, they are by no means naïve to the striking contrasts and realities of life. Mr. Saha’s work inhabits an environment where hope and sadness intermingle with memory and nostalgia, as is delicately conveyed in the poem Embers, where the mother river weeps for the parched earth around her, ‘despairing for the unborn seed’ which rises like a phoenix from the charred ground, transformed from smoldering embers to verdant, fertile provider of life. Or in the poem In Search of Ambrosia, which like the Roman god Janus, embraces both the past and the future, the weight of history and the lure of that magical fruit of the gods—the desire for the unknown ideal. Mr. Saha’s use of language is imbued with the creative forces that enable us to experience the simultaneity of life and guides us with sensitivity from the burdens of the past to the hope of the future. He not only pays tribute to the intoxicating lure of a simpler time under the mystical cloak of Nature’s life forces beneath the depths of the star-filled sky and its fragility—men returning to the hearth so protective of the ‘life force of Nature’ harbored there—but also celebrates how Bengali culture—her lyrical, musical traditions and her great gurus—spring forth from her diverse, yet collective history. In this first bilingual edition, non-Bengali readers are now able to experience Biman Saha’s inspired use of the Bengali language and lyricism in English. This adept and articulate translation offers us the opportunity to inhabit the emotional and intellectual landscapes Mr. Saha has created through his poetry, and in turn gain a closer glimpse into the Bengali culture and psyche.

      • January 2015

        ACCOUNT OF THE REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT IN BENGAL

        by Hem Chandra Kanungo

        Hem Chandra’s patriotism was not inspired by the ‘mother-in-bondage’ image of the country or by the accounts of her past glory. He loved his country not because what she was in the past, but because it was only natural for him to love his own country. Since countries like Italy and Russia used secret societies for freedom struggle and even in the Bore War the secret society played a crucial role, Hem Chandra thought that the “Bore method” was quite suited to our condition, and we decided to form secret societies.” Hem Chandra’s account had drawn the attention of the Intelligence Branch as it contained strong criticism of the leadership of Aurobindo and Barindra and the religious influence on the movement for which the leaders were held solely responsible. The IB was prompted to translate the account not so much for information but for examining the potentiality of the Marxist standpoint from which the criticism was made in containing individual terrorism. We have retained the exhaustive notes of the IB and have added, wherever necessary, new editorial notes on the basis of information now available, and a long account of Hem Chandra’s life. The book first published more than 85 years ago, still stands out as an honest and forthright memoir of the revolutionary movement. Unpublished letters, rare photographs, copy of Barrindra’s confession etc will be off interest to the scholars in general.

      • Agriculture & farming
        January 2011

        Information and Communication Technology for Agriculture and Rural Development

        by R. Saravanan, C. Kathiresan & T. Indra Devi

        The articles included in this book focuses on; Digital divide in rural India, e-Agriculture issues, Cyber extension, overview on Village Knowledge Centres (VKCs), Community Information Centre iniative in Orissa, SATCOM application in Karnataka State, Model e-Villages in Arunachal Pradesh State of North-East India, Nationwide InDG web portal initiative for rural development, Kisan Mobile Sandesh (KMS), Dynamic Market Information (DMI) by Web and Mobile in Tamil Nadu, Expert systems for pest and diseases diagnosis in rubber, Interactive Multimedia Compact Disc (IMCD), Village Information Centres among Dairy Farmers in Tamil Nadu, KISSAN initiative of Kerala State, Mobile Agricultural School and Services (MASS) in Jharkhand, Farmers Database creation in Darjeeling District of West Bengal, Village Resource Centres (VRCs) in Uttaranchal, Pest Surveillance of Rice using satellite data, Techmode Approach for Distance Learning Courses for Field Veterinarians in Maharastra, Information Retrieval System for Buffalo Reproduction, Web Portals and Digital Data base in Agroforestry, Watershed Modelling using GIS and Remote Sensing in Gujarat State, e-Readiness and Participation Level of Akshya and KISSAN Kerala Beneficiaries and VRC & CIC Network in Assam and Internet utilization pattern, evaluation of Kissan Call Centres (KCCs), ICT adoption level, impact, stakeholders feedback, policy implications and recommendations.

      • Chandernagore and its dependencies

        by Kanchana Mukhopadhyay

        The less known history reference book of French colony in Bengal enriched with rare maps, plans and documents from France, India and England.

      • May 2012

        War and Peace in Junglemahal : People, State and Maoists

        by Editor- Biswajit Roy

        A large part of tribal homeland across India, from Dandakaranya in central India to Junglemahal in West Bengal, has been witnessing a civil war between the central/state governments and the banned CPI(Maoist). Half-hearted attempts have been made to hold peace talks between the warring sides from Andhra Pradesh in 2004 to Bengal in 2011 but have ended in killing of key Maoist leaders. As the blame game continues, civil society remains bitterly divided on which side has failed peace. This collection of essays, by well-known activists and academics including the mediators, examines the failed peace initiatives in the context of the governments’ elitist ‘developmental’ policies, doublespeak of the parliamentary parties and Maoists’ follies. Dissecting the paradigms of peace, role of civil society and peace mediators, they offer wide range of views on Maoist violence vis-à-vis State violence while reflecting on the debates about democracy under red power and autonomy of grassroots movements and organisations. Students and teachers of contemporary South Asian history, studies in development and conflicts, policy researchers, activists, journalists and other discerning readers will find this book particularly helpful.

      • FARIDA ZAMAN : For the Love of Country

        by Martin Bradley

        This book is about works of Dr. Farida Zaman, an eminent artist of contemporary Bangladesh. Her works suggest the life of those who live at the margin of the society. The beauty of Bengal is vividly depicted in her works.

      • Kabir by Tagore

        Imagine discovering the yoga of devotion

        by Kabir / Rabindranath Tagore

        Nobel Prize winner Rabindranath Tagore, whose 150th birth commemoration was celebrated in 2011 translated Kabir’s work at the turn of the 20th Century whilst Bengal was being partitioned on religious grounds. This classic work designed by A. Sherlal expresses the 15th Century poet Kabir’s work finding it equally relevant for future generations as the poetry expresses unity amidst diversity, and shows a single thread running through humanity.

      • Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945)

        Life of Pi

        by Yann Martel

        WINNER OF THE 2002 BOOKER PRIZEAfter the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, one solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wild, blue Pacific. The crew of the surviving vessel consists of a hyena, a zebra (with a broken leg), a female orang-utan, a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger and Pi - a 16-year-old Indian boy. The scene is set for one of the most extraordinary pieces of literary fiction of recent years.

      • 2010

        Monkey Photo

        by Gita Wolf, Swarna Chitrakar

        Monkey lives in a jungle that tourists love to visit. But he's getting tired of them taking pictures of him all the time - and he never gets to see any of them! So he decides to help himself to a camera and swing around the jungle surprising friends and foes... Illustrated by Swarna Chitrakar in the brilliant Patua folk style from West Bengal, and with text by Gita Wolf, Monkey Photo records jungle life at its hilarious best.

      • Lifestyle, Sport & Leisure
        July 2021

        Courtyard Houses of India

        by Yatin Pandya

        Indian architecture is not an object in space; it integrates space within the object, where the built and the unbuilt become counterpoints to vitalize each other. The alchemy of the two sustains the space and the life within. The void within the built—the courtyard—lies at the genesis of the urban dwelling form in India across geography and time. In ancient Indian sciences, the courtyard assumes the central position as Brahmasthana, the nucleus of the living environment. It provided for an open-to-sky outdoor space while being away from the public eye and thus suited an introverted lifestyle. In this book, the author traces the metaphysical, mythical, socio-cultural, environmental and spatial roles of the courtyard in the domestic architecture  of India—from early civilization and Vedic times to Islamic and colonial influences. This volume documents traditional and vernacular courtyard dwelling types across India within diverse climatic, cultural as well as geographic zones such as western (Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra), southern (Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa), eastern (Bihar, West Bengal), central (Madhya Pradesh) and northern (Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.). It then discerns the spatial elements constituting the court, and the arts, the crafts as well as  the elements integral to the court.   Illustrated with splendid photographs and representative drawings, the book attempts to understand the presence and resolution, continued use and adaptation as well as the diverse interpretations and abstractions of the courtyard.   Yatin Pandya is an author, activist, academician, researcher as well as a practising architect with his firm FOOTPRINTS E.A.R.T.H. (Environment Architecture Research Technology Housing). He is a graduate of CEPT University, Ahmedabad, and holds a Master of Architecture degree from McGill University, Montreal. Pandya has been involved with city planning, urban design, mass housing, architecture, interior design and product design as well as conservation projects. He has authored numerous papers, which have appeared in national and international journals, and has produced several documentary films on architecture. During his tenure at the Vastu-Shilpa Foundation, Pandya worked on the publications Concepts of Space in Traditional Indian Architecture and Elements of Spacemaking, published by Mapin and now in their fourth reprint, which have won the Indian Institute of Architects’ (IIA) Award for Architectural Excellence in Research in the years 2012 and 2014, respectively. The research leading to this book was also carried out during his time at Vastu-Shilpa Foundation. He is a visiting faculty at the National Institute of Design and CEPT University, and a guest lecturer at various universities in India and abroad. The recipient of numerous national and international awards for research, design and dissemination, Pandya counts environmental sustainability, socio-cultural appropriateness, timeless aesthetics and economic affordability to be key principles of his work.

      • Humanities & Social Sciences
        January 2014

        ESSAYS IN HISTORY OF SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE

        by Nupur Dasgupta

        The present volume comprising thirteen articles cover aspects the history of science, technology and medicine from the ancient to the modern period. It focuses on the scope and cultural oriental orientations in science, history of different branches of colonial Indian. The roles of technology in cultural nationalism, the scene of plural medicine in colonial Bengal and evolution of some indigenous pharmaceutical companies have been discussed in the discourse. It includes articles on the emerging role of ‘assistive technology’ for the disabled, a critique of government policy on healthcare in contemporary India and the history of healthcare institutions in ancient India. It will be of interest to researchers and general readers.

      • December 2020

        A Road to Extinction

        Can Palaeolithic Africans survive in the Andaman Islands?

        by Jonathan Lawley

        Extinction faces the Jarawa, perhaps the oldest tribe of human beings in the world, because of a road that runs through pristine forests in the Indian-administered Andaman Islands, in the Bay of Bengal, and no one seems to care. Tourists take the road each day to try and get selfies with the tribespeople, who came from what is now Botswana at least 60,000 years ago. Once proud of their independence, the Jarawa are now tempted with biscuits and trinkets, as if they were exotic animals in a human safari park. They cannot survive like this. In his astonishing book, Jonathan Lawley returns to what was once a penal colony built by the British to house Indian mutineers. He asks what responsibility colonial administrators like his grandfather may have had for the sad plight of these palaeolithic hunter-gatherers, and what the Indian government should be doing to protect them. Sumptuously illustrated with the author’s never-before-seen archive photographs.

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