While studies in the history of medicine over the previous two decades have alluded to developmental trajectories of colonial and indigenous medicines, they have projected these against a broad canvas of engagement and alienation processes over a period of time. This volume moves beyond these presentations to explore new perspectives in understanding the dynamism and engagements between colonialism and medicine in India and South Africa. It examines the nature of medicine, medical practices, strategies, and knowledge ‘transfers’ and exchange between the two regions.

In gauging the nature of imperial control in India and South Africa, Dagmar Engels and Shula Marks, in their path-breaking study Contesting Colonial Hegemony: State and Society in Africa and India (1994), address issues of ‘coercion’ and ‘consent’ through the application of Antonio Gramsci's theories to the colonial state. Equally significant and influential in unravelling this dynamic is De-centering Empire: Britain, India and the Transcolonial World (2006) in which Durba Ghosh and Dane Kennedy present new perspectives in understanding the power of imperialism beyond the ‘imperial center and colonial periphery’ dichotomy of relationships between the ‘ruler and the ruled’ it also highlights significant issues in the historiography of understanding the British empire and their impact on the colonies, paving the way for further studies in examining the impact of the empire in specific contexts.

In recent years, several studies have focused on the history of dynamics of interaction between racial discrimination and the prevalence of hierarchy and inequalities within the medical profession.