Uncovering Britain's South Asian past: The case of George Edalji

The case of George Edalji affords a rare glimpse into the life of an Asian in Edwardian Britain and the type of responses he and his family provoked. The concerns raised by the case, particularly allegations of police corruption appear contemporary, especially in light of recent high‐profile miscarriages of justice in Britain. But the Edalji case was also a product of its time. It provides an opportunity to assess the way race, class and the law operated in the context of Imperial Britain. It and other cause célèbres publicized in the press led to the establishment of a Court of Criminal Appeal in Britain.