In 1858, the British set up a penal settlement on the Andaman islands in the Bay of Bengal. This study goes beyond the story of the island penal colony to investigate the other reasons of the colonization of the islands and how their unique geography and environment shaped their history, as well as their role in a larger historical process.

This book traverses the Indian Ocean in the period when the British held sway over the major oceanic waters of the world. In reviving the history of the Andamans as an important imperial prize, it offers a fresh perspective on the history of British colonialism, nationalism and the creation of modern India from its geographic periphery.