Historian and writer Ramchandra Guha’s book Rebels Against the Raj: Western Fighters for India’s Freedom has won the Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography 2023.
Key points
- Guha has been awarded £5,000 (₹5 lakhs approximately) and a bound copy of Elizabeth Longford’s memoir, The Pebbled Shore.
- The book tells the story of seven foreigners — four British, Two American, and one Irish — who joined India’s freedom fight against British rule. The list of names includes Annie Besant, B.G. Horniman, Philip Spratt, Richard Ralph Keithahn, Samuel Stokes, Madeline Slade, and Catherine Mary Heilemann.
- Stokes, Slade, and Heilemann had changed their names to Satyanand, Miran Behn and Sarala Beh, respectively after arriving in India.
- The award was founded in 2003 by Flora Fraser and Peter Soros to commemorate British historian Elizabeth Longford.
- Every year it rewards exemplary works in historical biography. The prize is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
