Colonizing Animals

Animals were essential to the British colonization of Myanmar, and Jonathan Saha's book explores how they were impacted and transformed by colonial subjugation. He demonstrates how Burmese anticolonial activists mobilized animals in opposition to imperial rule, revealing a history of how British colonialism transformed ecologies and fostered new relationships with animals.

Format: Hardback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 11 November 2021
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Animals played a crucial role in the British colonization of Myanmar, as explored in Jonathan Saha's groundbreaking history of British imperialism in the country from the early nineteenth century to 1942. Saha argues that animals were not only impacted but also transformed by the colonial subjugation process. By examining the writings of Burmese nationalists and the experiences of subaltern groups, he demonstrates how animals were mobilized by Burmese anticolonial activists to oppose imperial rule. Through his analysis, Saha reveals a history of how British colonialism reshaped ecologies and fostered new relationships between humans and animals in Myanmar.

Colonizing Animals offers a unique historical approach to studying interspecies relationships in the imperial past. Saha introduces innovative concepts for studying interspecies empires, drawing on postcolonial theory and critical animal studies. By examining the ways in which animals, such as elephants, crocodiles, and rats, were important actors who were never fully under human control, Saha uncovers a rich tapestry of how British colonialism transformed the natural world and created new interspecies dynamics.

This book is a valuable contribution to the field of imperial history, offering insights into the complex and multifaceted ways in which animals were implicated in the processes of colonialism and empire-building. It will be of interest to scholars and researchers in history, anthropology, ecology, and animal studies, as well as anyone with an interest in understanding the complex relationships between humans and other species in the imperial past.

Weight: 514g
Dimension: 160 x 235 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108839402