This is the first in-depth study of the Indian community in China in the colonial era. It uncovers the origins of this community, which consisted chiefly of merchants and security personnel, and portrays the broad range of their experience as aliens in China. It examines what made this small community stand out among the various segments of the global Indian diaspora why it consisted of such a high proportion of soldiers, policemen and watchmen; why it served as an important and vibrant overseas base of the Indian national movement in the twentieth century; and why it was eventually totally uprooted from the Chinese mainland. The experience of this community is important for what it tells us about a crucial but relatively unexplored phase of Sino-Indian relations. It shows how these relations were affected by both imperialism and nationalism, and sheds light on their possible impact on the changing Chinese perception of India and Indians in this era. One of the main conclusions of this study is that the stereotyped image of the Indians in China, as a mere tool of British imperialist interests, is open to serious question. This book departs from the conventional treatment of Sino-Indian relations in the modern era, by focusing on the interactions between the peoples of the two countries. Although the Indians who lived in China in the colonial period left few records about themselves, the author has succeeded in reconstructing their story by sifting through an assortment of source material in archives and libraries in both the countries.