Claiming India : French scholars and the preoccupation with India during the nineteenth century

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: The Last King of France Found...in India? -- India: A Land of Wonders or of Monstrosities? The Writings of Missionaries -- The Sublime Civilization of India: The Pre-occupation of Philosophes -- The Business of Serious Academics: Indology and the Study of India -- The Era of Empiricism and the Rise of Philology -- The Glory of Ancient India Stems from her Aryan Blood: The Development of "Scientific Anthropology" in Relation to India -- Recasting India in French Indology: Hinduism and the Caste System -- Writing Histories, Creating India -- Imperial Showcase: The Visual Presentation of India.