The truth behind the legend: European doctors in pre-colonial India

The aim of this article is to point out that the medical history of India i n the seventeenth century needs to be studied for its bearing on the histor y of medical science in this country. During the period 1644-1717, European physicians in India were sought and pampered by the Indian ruling class. E nglish doctors were able to translate this professional goodwill into concr ete commercial concessions for the British East India Company. The concessi ons gave the Company an edge over its rivals, and, more importantly, gave i t a cause to fight for. In consequence, the Company was transformed from a vaishya (trading) organization into a kshatriya (territorial) one. These co nclusions warrant a more rigorous professional study of European doctors vi s-g-vis their Indian counterparts in the pre-colonial period.