8 February 2013

Lecture puts British Empire in the dock

Britain's imperial history will be put in the dock next week when a public lecture at the University of Dundee explores alleged atrocities, massacres, torture and cover-ups in the late colonial period.

Stephen Howe, Professor in the History and Cultures of Colonialism at the University of Bristol, will explore evidence of British colonial violence to be found in history, politics and law. His talk, taking place at the D'Arcy Thompson Lecture Theatre on Tuesday, 12th February, is the latest instalment in the University's Arts & Humanities Research Institute (AHRI) Lecture and Seminar Series.

Historically, the empire on which the sun never set has been cast as a civilising force for the globe, or at least one far more benevolent than other colonial powers.

However, as the phrase goes, history is written by the winners, and recent controversies over the conduct of British security forces in conflicts such as the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya that took place as they withdrew from former colonies, has given rise to doubts over Britain's imperial legacy.

In his talk, Professor Howe will examine these controversies and ask what it means for the 21st century United Kingdom and its citizens.

He said, "Britain has seemed relatively little troubled by controversy over the meaning and continuing legacies of its colonial past.

"By comparison with countries like Germany, Japan, Australia, or Israel, modern Britain has not had many notable 'history wars' - fierce, wide-ranging and politically charged disputes over rival ideas of the national past which have engaged politicians, media and a broad public sphere as well as professional historians.

"All that is, however, apparently now beginning to change, with newly intense public and media, as well as academic, debate over the history of empire and its end, and their entailments for Britain and Britishness today.

"It is this change which I shall explore, focusing on recent legal, media and political controversies over British security force behaviour - alleged atrocities, massacres, torture and cover-ups - during the 'small wars' which accompanied decolonisation."

The AHRI is based within the School of Humanities at Dundee, and serves as a forum for research across the School's principal disciplines of English literature and creative writing, history, philosophy and aesthetics.

The Lecture and Seminar Series is delivered by academic from Dundee, alongside respected colleagues from the UK, Ireland and the US, who showcase the range of groundbreaking humanities research taking place across the globe.

In addition to his role at Bristol, Professor Howe is a senior research associate at Nuffield College Oxford, co-editor of the Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

He is the author of several books on British colonialism, and has been widely published on a number of subjects. He has worked not only in the academic world, but in politics and journalism, including as the New Statesman's political columnist and chief leader-writer.

'Imperial Britain in the Dock: Late colonial violence in history, politics, and law' takes places at 6pm on Tuesday, 12th February at the D'Arcy Thompson Lecture Theatre, Tower Building

All members of University staff and students, and interested members of the public are warmly invited to attend. More information is available at www.dundee.ac.uk/humanities/artsandhumanitiesresearchinstitute/.

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