Archive · 17 Sep 2025
Scottish Missionary's Memoir Reveals Insights into Colonial Bombay
Imagine a Scottish man named Dugald who went to India a long time ago.
He wrote a book about his life there, sharing his thoughts about the city, Bombay, and its people.
He became a teacher and saw how people lived, dealt with diseases like the plague, and how they felt about being ruled by others.
He wrote about how some people were treated differently because of their race, and how he thought the British rulers could have done better.
His book helps us understand what life was like back then in a place far away.
Dugald Mackichan was a Scottish missionary and academic who spent 45 years in Bombay.
Mackichan's memoir offers a historical view of Bombay's social and political landscape.
He served as principal of Wilson College and vice-chancellor of Bombay University.
The memoir discusses the 1896 bubonic plague outbreak and racial segregation.
Mackichan's views on Indian independence were evident in his assessment of Vasudev Balwant Phadke.
- Who
- Dugald Mackichan, a Scottish academic and missionary.
- What
- A memoir about his experiences in Bombay, India, including observations on social life, the plague, and Indian independence.
- When
- Mackichan arrived in Bombay in February 1875 and his memoir covers events through the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
- Where
- Bombay, India.
- Why
- To provide insights into colonial India's social and political dynamics, and to share Mackichan's experiences.
Mackichan's Views
Indian Independence
Indian Independence
Mackichan's Views
Mackichan was not supportive of Indian independence and criticized revolutionaries.
Indian Independence
The article describes revolutionary activities against the colonial government.
Racial Segregation
Mackichan's Views
Mackichan criticized racial segregation in public spaces.
Indian Independence
The colonial government justified segregation.
- Main Subject
- Dugald Mackichan, a Scottish missionary and academic
- Location
- Bombay (Mumbai), India
- Time Period
- Late 19th and early 20th centuries
- Key Role
- Principal of Wilson College and Vice-Chancellor of Bombay University
- Noteworthy Events
- 1896 Bubonic plague outbreak, social and political life under colonial rule
- Memoir Title
- Forty-Five Years in India