From inner-circle spies in Hyderabad to the deliberate destruction of colonial records, investigative journalist Josy Joseph reveals the hidden history of 1947.
In this interview, Abhinandan Sekhri sits down with veteran investigative journalist Josy Joseph to discuss his third book, Birth of a Nation, which chronicles the little-known story of India’s princely states during the transition to independence in 1947.
Joseph explains how the book grew out of years spent combing through the National Archives while working at Times of India, initially collecting documents without a clear plan. He describes discovering that Sir Conrad Corfield, head of the colonial government’s political department, destroyed roughly 90 percent of records documenting the scandals of princely rulers – a move that infuriated Jawaharlal Nehru.
The conversation covers Joseph’s research methodology and the standout characters uncovered in his research, including a mysterious spy embedded in the Nizam of Hyderabad’s inner circle who fed intelligence to Delhi during tense negotiations.
As Joseph puts it: “Indian independence was not just the bloodiest partition in human history, not just the formation of the largest republic in human history, not just the first major state to emerge out of nonviolence… it was also the largest surrender of hereditary power.” He also argues that journalists, not just political leaders, drove the freedom movement, and laments what he sees as today’s media losing sight of that legacy.
The conversation also touches on archival neglect in India, his deliberate choice to reclaim the title Birth of a Nation despite its association with the racist 1915 American film, and reflections on Gandhi, Nehru, and Patel’s contrasting leadership styles during Partition.
Watch the full interview.
