The Age of Kali: Indian Travels and Encounters

by William Dalrymple

Release Date: April, 2000

Edition: Paperback

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Dalrymple does it again!

William Dalrymple is one of the best travel writers about. His book "THE AGE OF KALI" is a collection of essays written during his many travels over the years through India. Don't be deceived by the title, although Dalrymple talks about the ancient Goddess Kali, this book is not about her; it is in fact about the transition that India is going through, "the age of Kali" a time when change takes place, often not for the best. In this book he shows a side of India that perhaps many would like to avoid discussing. He talks about India's dark side, the violence, religious intolerance, the abject poverty of many people, a stronger than ever caste system along with the pain of a country struggling to find its feet in the 20th century. This is not a depressing book, far from it, Dalrymple shows the reader, that despite all the problems India has to contend with, she is a country of great beauty, great compassion and many wonders, admid all the tragedy, corruption, and heartbreak. This is not a book for the squeamish and if you want a read that romanticizes India, then this isn't for you. However, if you are looking for a book that you won't be able to put down, then this is certainly something you will want to read again and again.

Very informative and (hence) depressing

In this book, the famous travel-writer Dalrymple publishes a collection of his essays about South Asia that he has gathered from a decade of living in the sub-continent. There are six sections - North India, Rajasthan, the New India, The South, the Indian Ocean and Pakistan.

Be warned that the book, especially the first two sections are incredibly depressing. The horrors of some aspects of modern Indian living rarely make it to the front page so I found myself almost numb with shock as to the level of suffering described. Dalrymple details an Indian state in chaos, where most of the parliament is made up of convicted criminals who murder openly, where sectarian and caste disputes lead to regular massacres and where there's no infrastructure or safety. We are led through the hardships faced by the lower castes, the poverty and horrors of rural life and the immense corruption that's on a level that's fortunately hard to believe for an inhabitant of a "developed" country.

There are, however, some notions of hope. William describes the new prosperity emerging from the south as something with the potential to improve the lot of the whole country if it spreads. As usual, fans of Dalrymple will find plenty of digressions to the past, with his interest in the Muslim and colonial rulers of India showing through. My favourite thing about Dalrymple is how he presents both history and current affairs in an interesting way by finding the connections. This certainly occurs in this book, though most of it is modern.

The Age of Kali got me interested in world affairs again as you are thrust into the brutal techniques of groups such as the Tamil Tigers and various Hindu right-wing nationalists in India, as well as a reminder of the atrocities of Partition. The concise essays are examples of great journalism as Dalrymple gets up close to the people that make everything happen and shows you a view of the sub-continent that most aren't exposed to.

The book brings out many of the region's troubles but there is also a degree of optimism - it'll wake you up to issues of the region that aren't often enough discussed in most circles.