What was imperial honor and how did it sustain the British Raj? If  “No man may harm me with impunity” was an ancient theme of the European aristocracy, British imperialists of almost all classes in India possessed a similar vision of themselves as overlords belonging to an honorable race, so that ideals of honor condoned and sanctified their rituals, connecting them with status, power, and authority.  Honor, most broadly, legitimated imperial rule, since imperialists ostensibly kept India safe from outside threats.