But then, this is a land of hypocrites. The British pretend they’re here to bring the benefits of western civilisation to an ungovernable bunch of savages, while, in reality it’s only ever really been about petty commercial gain. And the Indians ? The educated elite claim they want to rid India of British tyranny for the benefit of all Indians, but what do they know or care about the needs of the millions of Indians in the villages ? They just want to replace the British as the ruling class. ’

Abir Mukherjee: A Rising Man (Wyndham and Banerjee series)