Patterson, Kathryn Seygal, “The decline of dominance: India and the careers of Lionel Curtis, Philip Lothian, and Reginald Coupland”. (Volumes I and II), PhD Bryn Mawr College, 1989, 526 pages AAT 9117252. Brief summary.

“The eclipse of Liberalism as a political force has become an accepted part of the 20th century historical landscape. This paper projects that eclipse on to the field of imperial relations and examines both how and why it occurred. The Anglo-Indian relationship has been used as the basis for the case study for three reasons: it represents the longest, most intensive imperial linkage in modern times, there is abundant documentary evidence for charting the evolution of the relationship over the entire span of imperial decline and because it attracted three of the century's most dedicated imperial activists--Lionel Curtis, Philip (Kerr) Lothian and Reginald Coupland. Part One describes the history of Anglo-Indian relations and identifies race and power-sharing as critical issues for imperial enthusiasts. Biographical background is also provided for Curtis, Lothian and Coupland, including their involvement with Alfred Milner and the Round Table, and the roots of their imperialism. Part Two analyzes the origins of dyarchy, Curtis's visit to India in 1916-1917 and the reasons for the failure of his vision of a Commonwealth of Nations as a teaching organization to win the support of Indian nationalists. Part Three covers Lothian's view of a Commonwealth as a means of ensuring global security for liberal values and traditions. It focuses on his contacts with Gandhi, Nehru and Indian Liberals, his role in the passage of the Act of 1935, and suggests why he failed to overcome the suspicions of Indian nationalists. Part Four examines Coupland's writings on India, his involvement with the Cripps Mission, and his bitter disillusion when Indian leaders rejected his vision of a Commonwealth as a bridge between East and West. Their inability to form alliances with Indian Liberals, coupled with the growth of the nationalist politics of mass democracy reveals the fading impact of the liberal ideology of enlightened imperialism, both in Great Britain and abroad.” The abstract.