What is a summary of the book "Masks of Conquest?"

"Masks of Conquest" by Gauri Viswanathan follows modern English studies to their colonial origins.  The book shows that English literary study was in place before its institutionalization in England and had its beginnings as a strategy for managing the colony.  The author shows that English literature is tied up in the politics of the British Empire while also challenging modern assumptions about canon creation and the modern study of literature.