ABSTRACT

What are the dynamics of the abolition of the Indian indentureship system? Why was it ended? Who were the main players in the final end of the labour scheme? Were Indian labourers and/or the Indian middle classes actively involved in the processes leading towards complete abolition? This book examines the end of a labour system which lasted from 1838 until 1920 in various territories throughout the British Empire. It looks at methods of agitations which had their genesis in the territories of the Indian Ocean and compare/contrast these with those of other territories such as the British West Indies.
The volume provides a comparative study of the abolition of the Indian indentureship system and shows the global interconnectedness of abolition, with a strong subaltern focus.

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chapter |17 pages

Introduction

chapter Chapter 1|29 pages

Indian Indentureship in Context

chapter Chapter 2|30 pages

Imperialist Structures

chapter Chapter 3|39 pages

‘Resistance from Within’

Labourers’ Resistance against Indentureship

chapter Chapter 4|22 pages

Fighting the System

Middle-class Indian Protests in Labour-importing Territories

chapter Chapter 5|42 pages

Why Should We Be Called ‘Coolies’?

Agitation in the ‘Mother Country’

chapter Chapter 6|15 pages

Imperial Re-considerations, Policy and Abolition

chapter Chapter 7|13 pages

Conclusion