Reading order · 4 books · 1966 to 1975 · Set in the fictional Mayapore, India
Raj Quartet in Order
The Raj Quartet traces the last years of British rule in India, from 1942 to independence and partition in 1947, through the lives of British and Indian families.
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Series facts
- Books
- 4
- Published
- 1966 to 1975
- First book
- The Jewel in the Crown
- Latest
- A Division of the Spoils (1975)
- Setting
- Set in the fictional Mayapore, India
The reading order
Every Raj Quartet book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
4 books · Set in the fictional Mayapore, India
- 1The Jewel in the Crown1966In 1942, in the town of Mayapore, Daphne Manners, a young Englishwoman, is assaulted in the Bibighar Gardens, and Hari Kumar, the English-educated Indian she loves, is arrested by the police superintendent, Ronald Merrick.Buy on Amazon
- 2The Day of the Scorpion1968With Sarah LaytonThe Layton family, of an old army family in India, face the war and the end of empire, while Merrick’s shadow falls across their lives.Buy on Amazon
- 3The Towers of Silence1971With Barbie BatchelorBarbie Batchelor, a retired missionary teacher, lodges with Mabel Layton in a hill station, and watches the world she knew begin to crumble.Buy on Amazon
- 4A Division of the Spoils1975With Sarah Layton and Guy PerronAs British rule ends and India is partitioned, the lives of the characters come to their conclusions.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read The Jewel in the Crown, The Day of the Scorpion, The Towers of Silence and A Division of the Spoils in order. Staying On is a gentler coda.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Sarah Layton | Barbie Batchelor | Guy Perron | Daphne Manners | Hari Kumar | Ronald Merrick |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Jewel in the Crown | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | |||
| 2 The Day of the Scorpion | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ||
| 3 The Towers of Silence | MMajor | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | |
| 4 A Division of the Spoils | LLead | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
Characters in the Raj Quartet books
7 characters from Paul Scott’s chart, with the number of Raj Quartet books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Sarah LaytonDaughter of an army family | 3 | The Day of the Scorpion 1968 |
| Barbie BatchelorRetired missionary | 1 | The Towers of Silence 1971 |
| Guy PerronSergeant and historian | 1 | A Division of the Spoils 1975 |
| Daphne MannersYoung Englishwoman in Mayapore | 4 | The Jewel in the Crown 1966 |
| Hari KumarEnglish-educated Indian | 4 | The Jewel in the Crown 1966 |
| Ronald MerrickDistrict Superintendent of Police | 4 | The Jewel in the Crown 1966 |
| Tusker SmalleyRetired colonel who stays in India | 1 | The Towers of Silence 1971 |