A British Indian Promissory Note

In this video podcast I talk about a British Indian promissory note dating back to 1859. The note shows all the hallmarks of formalisation, and demonstrates some of the financial workings of the British Raj. Notes like these were keystones to financing the expansion of British Indian commercial activities both in the era of the British East India Company and the British Raj. Many of these promissory notes drew on the networks and resources of Indian indigenous bankers or merchants, as well as affluent British merchants.