estern civilisation has long presented itself as the universal story of human progress. In Uncivilised: Ten Lies That Made the West, historian and former museum curator Subhadra Das sets out to dismantle that claim.

Provocative and meticulously researched, the book interrogates a series of narratives that have come to define Western self-understanding. Das argues that many of the principles celebrated as the foundations of modern civilisation are neither universal nor politically neutral. Rather, they emerged from specific historical circumstances and were shaped by structures of power that privileged some voices while silencing others.

The book challenges readers to reconsider ideas they may take for granted. From democracy and meritocracy to scientific objectivity and the legacy of the Magna Carta, Das examines how particular interpretations of history acquired the status of common sense. Her concern is with the enduring influence of stories that continue to shape global understanding of progress.

At the heart of Uncivilised is a critique of Western exceptionalism. Das contends that the West’s political, economic and cultural dominance has enabled its historical narratives to be presented as universal truths, often at the expense of alternative ways of understanding the world. By tracing the origins of these narratives, she reveals the contradictions that lie beneath their apparent certainty.

Das writes with conviction, combining historical scholarship with a sharp awareness of how power operates through knowledge. She aims to expose the assumptions that sustain it and to ask whose interests they continue to serve.

Whether one accepts all of her conclusions or not, Uncivilised is a timely intervention. At a moment when questions of power are being fiercely contested, Das offers a compelling invitation to rethink some of the most enduring stories the West tells about itself.

Das argues that many of the principles associated with Western civilisation were not inclusive in their origins. Rather, they emerged within specific historical contexts and often served the interests of those who wielded political or cultural power. Ideas presented as markers of progress, reason and civilisation frequently functioned to exclude others.

A central concern of Uncivilised is how such ideas came to be regarded as universal truths. Concepts that originated in particular places and periods gradually became detached from their historical contexts and were presented as timeless principles applicable to all societies. For Das, this process of universalisation lies at the heart of Western hegemony: the transformation of contingent historical experiences into supposedly objective truths.

In this book, she subjects a range of familiar assumptions to scrutiny. She argues that their histories are far more politically charged than conventional accounts allow.

Das reveals the tensions that underpin many of the West’s most cherished ideals. In doing so, she invites readers to question the stories that have shaped modern institutions and learn about the power structures that enabled those stories to become dominant in the first place.

The book echoes the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi’s famous remark that Western civilisation “would be a good idea.” Like Gandhi’s observation, Das’s critique is directed at the contradictions between the West’s professed commitment to liberty and the histories of empire that accompanied its global ascendancy. Her purpose is to expose the tensions that conventional narratives often overlook.

Ultimately, the book is concerned less with offering definitive answers than with asking difficult questions. What do we mean when we describe a society as civilised? Who has the authority to make that judgment? Whose experiences have been excluded from the stories that shape our understanding of the modern world? By raising such questions, Uncivilised encourages readers to rethink some of the most deeply embedded assumptions of contemporary life.

Uncivilised

Ten Lies That Made

the West

Author: Subhadra Das

Publisher: Coronet

Pages: 284

Price: Rs 2,595

The reviewer is pursuing a PhD in English literature.