The promise of ‘character’ and the spectre of sedition: The boy scout movement and colonial consternation in India, 1908–1921

South Asia: Journal of South Asia Studies

Volumn 22, Issue 2, 1999, Pages 37-62

  Watt, Carey A ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 0345920161     PISSN: 00856401     EISSN: 14790270     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/00856409908723365     Document Type: Article

References (92)

1. Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, Scouting for Boys. A Handbook for Instruction in Good Citizenship (London, 1908).
2. Allen Warren, ‘Citizens of Empire: Baden-Powell, Scouts and Guides, and an imperial ideal’, in John M. Mackenzie (ed.), Imperialism and Popular Culture (pb. edition, Manchester, 1992), pp. 23256;
3. Allen Warren, ‘Sir Robert Baden-Powell, the Scout movement and citizen training in Great Britain, 1900-1920’, English Historical Review, Vol. Cl, 399 (Apr. 1986), pp. 376-98;
4. J. A. Mangan and James Walvin (eds), Manliness and Morality. Middle-Class Masculinity in Britain and America, 1800-1940 (Manchester, 1987), pp. 199-219;
5. David I. Macleod, Building Character in the American Boy. The Boy Scouts, YMCA, and their Forerunners, 1870-1920 (Madison, 1983); Hugh Brogan, Mowgli’s Sons. Kipling and Baden Powell’s Scouts (London, 1987);
6. Tim Jeal, Baden-Powell (London, 1989). Ronald Hyam gives an overview of scouting and the British empire with interesting comments on sexuality in the boy scouts in Britain’s Imperial Century, 1815-1914.
7. A Study of Empire and Expansion (second edition [first published 1976], London, 1993), pp. 272-80
8. Empire and Sexuality. The British Experience (Manchester, 1990), pp. 40-1, 66, 71-3.
9. Katherine A. 1970s, Rituals of National Loyalty. An Anthropology of the State and the Village Scout Movement in Thailand (New York, 1997).
10. G. R. Searle, The Quest for National Efficiency. A Study in British Politics and Political Thought (Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1971), pp. 1-2, 60-5;
11. osé Harris, Private Lives, Public Spirit. A Social History of Britain 1870-1914 (Oxford, 1993), pp. 233-7.
12. On the relationship between the boy scouts and national efficiency see Rosenthal, Character Factory, pp. 196-7;
13. Allen Warren, ‘Citizens of Empire’, pp. 238-9.
14. On civics and citizenship training see Derek Heater, Citizenship. The Civic Ideal in World History, Politics and Education (London, 1990), p. 85.
15. On social service, Harris, Private Lives, Public Spirit, pp. 193, 248;
16. Catherine Duprat, Jean, No 1 Luc and Jacques-Guy Petit (eds.), Philanthropies et Politiques Sociales en Europe (XVIII-XX siecles) (Paris, Anthropos, 1994), pp. 17-28.
17. Harris, Private Lives, Public Spirit, particularly the section ‘Society, Liberty, and Character: Echoes of Greece and Rome’, pp. 245-50.
18. J. A. Mangan on the system of developing ‘character’ through team sports in The Games Ethic and Imperialism: Aspects of the Diffusion of an Ideal (Harmondsworth, 1985)
19. “The grit of our forefathers”: invented traditions, propaganda and imperialism’ in Mackenzie (ed.), Imperialism, pp. 113-39.
20. Hyam, Imperial Century, pp. 272, 276-9;
21. Hyam, Empire and Sexuality, pp. 71-3;
22. Stokes, Political Ideas, pp. 25-35
23. Stokes, scouting specifically mentioned on pp. 33-4.
24. Mangan, Games Ethic, p. 21.
25. Baden-Powell, Scouting for Boys, pp. 9, 28, 208-9, 313, 319.
26. Baden-Powell, promoted drill on a couple of occasions as a means of ensuring good health and discipline. Scouting for Boys, pp. 7-8, 234-5.
27. Baden-Powell, promoted drill on a couple of occasions as a means of ensuring good health and discipline. Scouting for Boys, pp. 340-1.
28. ‘good citizen’, such as duty and obedience, were also quintessential military traits. Warren, ‘Scout movement and citizen training’, pp. 390-1, 397.
29. William H. McNeill, Keeping Together in Time. Dance and Drill in Human History (Cambridge, Mass., 1995), p. 115
30. Alistair Davidson, From Subject to Citizen: Australian Citizenship in the 20th Century (Cambridge, 1997), pp. 36-7.
31. Brogan, Mowgli’s Sons, p. 25;
32. Stokes, Political Ideas, pp. 25-6, 31-3.
33. Stokes, Political Ideas, pp. 27-31.
34. Stokes, Political Ideas, pp. 33-4.
35. Brogan, Mowgli’s Sons, pp. 40, 54-5,.
36. Sugata Bose and Ayesha Jalal (eds), Modern South Asia. History, Culture, Political Economy (Delhi, 1998), pp. 117-22.
37. Clive Dewey, The Mind of the Indian Civil Service (Delhi, 1996), pp. 13, 93-4.
38. Information about Reverend Wood’s troop is based on three sources: Boy Scouts Association in India. Year Book and Annual Report for Year ending September 30th, 1935 (Calcutta, 1935), p. 8;
39. Lakshmi Mazumdar (ed.), A Dream Came True (reprint, New Delhi, 1997 [published in 1968]), p. 16;
40. Boy Scouts Association in India. Year Book, pp. 4-8;
41. Mazumdar, A. (ed.), Dream Came True, pp. 77-9;
42. George Feaver (ed.), The Webbs in Asia. The 1911-12 Travel Diary (London, 1992), Chhatarpur, 14 Feb. 1912, pp. 246-48.
43. George Feaver (ed.), The Webbs in Asia. The 1911-12 Travel Diary (London, 1992), Chhatarpur, 14 Feb. 1912, Lahore, 3 Mar. 1912.
44. Boy Scouts Association in India. Year Book, p. 4.
45. J. C. Fergusson to J. W. Hose, Commissioner, Agra division, 1 Dec. 1914, ‘Scheme for the introduction of boy scouts’, file 98 of 1911 (with file 50 of 1917 appended), GAD, UPSA.
46. J. C. Fergusson, J. W. Hose, Commissioner, Agra division, 1 Dec. 1914, ‘Scheme for the introduction of boy scouts’, file 98 of 1911 (with file 50 of 1917 appended), GAD, 5 Dec. 1914.
47. J. C. Fergusson to J. W. Hose, Meston to Baden-Powell, 9 July 1915 and 5 Nov. 1915.
48. J. C. Fergusson to J. W. Hose, and Meston to his Chief Sec., 11 May 1916.
49. J. C. Fergusson to J. W. Hose, Govt, of Bombay, Education Dept., ‘Press Note’ no. 2970 on ‘Methods for making education more practical’, 29 Sept. 1914, and ‘Press Note’ no. 1244 on the boy scouts more specifically, which included A. C. Miller’s own report published 17 Apr. 1915.
50. A. C. Miller to Director of Public Instruction, Bombay, 17 May 1915, and Govt, of Bombay Order no. 3669, 16 Dec. 1915.
51. Bombay Govt, to Govt, of India, 17 Apr. 1915, Home Political (Poll.) Deposit, Sept. 1915,.
52. Major N. M. Ross, Col. J. S. Wilson and Reverend R. W. Bryan. Mazumdar (ed.), Dream Came True, p. 8.
53. J. H. Kerr, Chief Sec., Govt, of Bengal to H. Wheeler, Home Dept., Govt, of India, 23 May 1916
54. ‘Note on the question of the admission of Indian boys into the Boy Scout movement in India’, n.d. but almost certainly prepared in 1917, TC/India (1), SAA, pp. 4-6.
55. ‘Note on the question of the admission of Indian boys into the Boy Scout movement in India’, n.d. but almost certainly prepared in 1917, TC/India (1), SAA, p. 5.
56. E. A. Molony, Commissioner, Agra Division, to R. Bum, Chief Sec. to UP Govt., 21 Aug. 1915
57. Scheme for the introduction of boy scouts’, file 98 of 1911 (with file 50 of 1917 appended), GAD, UPSA.
58. R. A. B. Chapman and A. G. Dix, The School-Boy League of Honour. A manual of guidance and instruction in the principles and practice of boy scouting, for boys of India (Bombay and Madras, 1918).
59. K. T. Paul, Gen. Secretary, National Council, YMCA, Calcutta to Adj. General in India, Army HQ, Simla, 22 May 1916, file 2808 of 1917
60. Home Rule Leagues in 1917-18. Dates of 1917 and 1916, respectively, are given for the foundation of the BSI in Jain, How Scouting, p. 17;
61. Mazumdar, A. (ed.), Dream Came True, p. 15;
62. Mazumdar, A. (ed.), Dream Came True, pp. 77-79; ‘Report…by Lady Baden-Powell on the Girl Guide movement in India’, TC/India (1), SAA.
63. The Modern Review, May 1909, pp. 465-8;
64. Central Hindu College Magazine, Jan. 1911, Apr. 1912, Apr. 1913; the other was at the Theosophical High School, Cawnpore. Jain, How Scouting, pp. 15-16.
65. Jain, How Scouting, p. 18;
66. Mazumdar, A. (ed.), Dream Came True, pp. 10-11;
67. Sitaram Chaturvedi, Mahamana Malaviyaji (Hindi) (Benares, 1936), p. 157.
68. Mazumdar, A. (ed.), Dream Came True, p. 15;
69. Boy Scouts Association in India. Year Book, pp. 8-9.
70. Jain, How Scouting, p. 18.
71. P. Biggane, ‘The Sewa Samiti movement in the United Provinces’, 18 Dec. 1919, in ‘Means of checking the volunteer movement in India in connection with the Khilafat agitation, etc.’, file 604 of 1920, GAD, UPSA, Lucknow.
72. Mazumdar, A. (ed.), Dream Came True, p. 8.
73. Medha Malik Kudaisya, The Public Career of G.D. Birla, 1911-1947 (unpublished Ph.D. thesis, University of Cambridge, 1992), p. 33.
74. E. S. MacLagan, Dept, of Education, Govt, of India to DuBoulay, Private Sec. to Viceroy, 1 Dec. 1916, Home Poll. Deposit, Dec. 1916, no. 8, NAI.
75. Government of India’s ‘Progress of Education in India 1912-1917’ (Calcutta, 1918), pp. 32-3.
76. Edwin S. Montagu (edited by Venetia Montagu), An Indian Diary (London, 1930), 10 Oct. 1917, p. 95.
77. Mazumdar, A. (ed.), Dream Came True, p. 9.
78. H. R. Ferger and A. J. Langley-Moone in the late 1910s. Besant papers, ‘All-India Boy Scout Conference, Calcutta’, file 67, ‘Scouting, 1921-31’, NMML; Mazumdar mentions a scout group formed by Ferger in Dehra Dun, UP, in 1918. Dream Came True, p. 11.
79. H. R. Ferger and A. J. Langley-Moone in the late 1910s. Besant papers, ‘All-India Boy Scout Conference, Calcutta’, file 67, ‘Scouting, 1921-31’, NMML; Mazumdar mentions a scout group formed by Ferger in Dehra Dun, UP, in 1918. Dream Came True, pp. 29-33.
80. H. R. Ferger and A. J. Langley-Moone in the late 1910s. Besant papers, ‘All-India Boy Scout Conference, Calcutta’, file 67, ‘Scouting, 1921-31’, NMML; Mazumdar mentions a scout group formed by Ferger in Dehra Dun, UP, in 1918. Dream Came True, pp. 37-40.
81. Jain, How Scouting, pp. 40-3;
82. Jain, How Scouting, pp. 25-6.
83. Mazumdar, A. (ed.), Dream Came True, pp. 55-8.
84. [1] Chandar Sundaram, ‘“Martial” Indian Aristocrats and the Military System of the Raj: The Imperial Cadet Corps, 1900-1914’, Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, Vol. 25, no. 3 (1997), pp. 415-39.
85. Carey A. Watt, ‘Education for National Efficiency: Constructive Nationalism in North India, 1909-1916’, Modem Asian Studies, Vol. 31, no. 2 (May 1997), pp. 339-74;
86. M. A. Ansari, the Congress, and the Raj (New Delhi, 1987), pp. 26-7, 60-1, 85.
87. Jain, How Scouting, pp. 15, 19;
88. Mazumdar, A. (ed.), Dream Came True, p. 13.
89. Rosenthal, Character Factory, p. 261.
90. Jeal, Baden-Powell, pp. 491-7;
91. Brogan, Mowgli’s Sons, pp. 54-5;
92. Warren, Citizens of Empire, p. 235.