India, June 19 -- The intersection of Colonialism and temperance propagated by European countries makes a rather interesting topic in food studies. In Colonial India, temperance promoted by native leaders was linked to the nationalist cause as a means to overthrow the Western influence that was blamed for changing alcohol consumption patterns among Indians.

Britain sought to profit from the trade in alcohol once it established itself in India. Around the same time, temperance societies flourished all over the country. While Colonial rulers believed that trade and Christianity were important to make the colonised subjects "civilised", Christian missionaries and Catholic officials, both civil and military, endorsed sobriety and worked to s...