In January 2006 I took my place in the Asian and African Reading Room at the British Library and began to read the evidence presented to the Royal Commission on Indian Finance and Currency. To say the least, I was utterly appalled at the portrait of the India Office that emerged from those pages. Not only was it grossly incompetent, but it acted purely in the interests of its financial advisors and the City of London, and to the detriment of India. At the end of the first day of my new project, I vowed to expose the ineptitude and dishonesty of this truly depraved organisation.

Six years later I have produced a book which, if not exactly eulogising the Office, at least demonstrates that it was an efficient institution, staffed and advised by committed and highly knowledgeable individuals, who wished to and generally succeeded in protecting India from City exploitation. This 360-degree change in my views arose from a study of India Office files, the material lodged in the Bank of England, Crown Agents and other archives, and contemporary accounts of how the financial centre of the World actually operated. The research was aided by numerous individuals and institutions.