By-Ways of Bombay is a collection of narratives offering a vivid exploration of a city teeming with diverse cultures, practices, and people. Through the authorÍs experiences as a government official, the work highlights the complex social fabric of Bombay, revealing its unique rituals, community dynamics, and cultural intricacies. The narrative touches on the contrast between life and death, underscoring the deep-rooted spiritual beliefs that influence daily life. Traditional customs surrounding death and mourning come to the forefront, illustrating the ways in which the living honor and appease spirits through rituals and offerings. The stories captured reflect a society where spiritual beliefs and protective magic shape interactions and societal norms. The author emphasizes the profound connection between people, their customs, and the spiritual world, offering an evocative portrait of BombayÍs cultural landscape. As the book unfolds, readers are drawn into a narrative rich with historical significance, capturing the essence of a bustling city while focusing on its societal and spiritual dimensions, enhanced by personal experiences and broader reflections on community life.
Stephen Meredyth Edwardes (1873–1927) was an English colonial administrator in the Indian Civil Service and is recognized as the first civilian Bombay Police Commissioner. Born to the Rev. Stephen Edwardes and Ellen Edwardes, he was educated at Eton College and Christ Church, Oxford. He entered the Indian Civil Service in 1894 by examination, one of two recipients of the Indian Civil Service scholarship from Christ Church. Edwardes served in India and later became an author on Indian topics. His career is notable for his contributions to the colonial administration and his work in shaping Bombay's policing structure. His father was a Fellow at Merton College, Oxford, and his mother remarried Thomas Erskine Holland in 1895. Edwardes’s early education was marked by his studies at Eton and a possible but unclear matriculation at Oxford. His brother, Lewis Edwardes, became a stockbroker. The background of Edwardes is rooted in a family involved in education, with his paternal grandfather being a Welsh schoolmaster.
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