Empire: World History 313. Rudyard Kipling: Escaping India & Writing The Jungle Book (Part 2)
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Dec 4, 2025 Andrew Lycett, a biographer and historian of Rudyard Kipling, delves into Kipling's tumultuous relationship with India and his famous works. They discuss what inspired The Jungle Book and Kim, exploring Kipling's acute observational skills and early tales. Lycett reveals Kipling's disdain for London, his journey to Vermont, and the impact of his marriage. The conversation also highlights the complexities of Kipling's admiration for colonial figures and the paradox of his heartfelt depictions of India alongside his conservative views.
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Night Walks Into Lahore's Demimonde
- Kipling wandered Lahore nights, visiting opium shops and the demimonde, and wrote sympathetically about courtesans like Laloun.
- Andrew Lycett explains these nocturnal wanderings informed stories such as On the City Wall.
Sympathy For Rank-and-File Raj Figures
- Kipling sympathized with lower-ranked soldiers and civil servants, elevating them into heroes in his stories.
- Andrew Lycett says this broadened Kipling's audience and grounded his conservative view of the Raj.
From Reporter To Reactionary Conservative
- Kipling grew increasingly reactionary, embracing club conservatism and opposing Indian political self-expression.
- Andrew Lycett stresses Kipling's belief that the Raj's administrators brought necessary order to India.
