Revisiting Colonialism and Colonial Labour: The South Asian Working Class in British Malaya

This book challenges the negative view of colonialism by examining the experiences of the South Indian working class in Malaya. It shows that colonialism provided opportunities for these people, and the British approach to colonialism protected the interests of the Malay aristocrat classes and masses. The South Indians should be viewed as active transnational entities within a constructive system, rather than passive victims.

Format: Hardback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 31 July 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The book challenges the prevailing notion that colonialism was inherently negative and destructive, instead emphasizing the experiences of the South Indian working class, who migrated to Malaya in the early 20th century from socially, economically, and environmentally challenging regions in South India. It delves into the opportunities that colonialism offered these individuals, highlighting the British approach to colonialism in Malaya, which prioritized conservatism and tradition while safeguarding the interests of the Malay aristocracy classes and, by extension, the Malay masses. The book demonstrates that the South Indians, whose identity, social existence, and prospects were intricately linked to imperial processes, benefited from colonialism and should be recognized as active transnational entities within a constructive system rather than passive victims of repressive and destructive forces.

The book challenges the prevailing notion that colonialism was inherently negative and destructive, instead emphasizing the experiences of the South Indian working class, who migrated to Malaya in the early 20th century from socially, economically, and environmentally challenging regions in South India. It delves into the opportunities that colonialism offered these individuals, highlighting the British approach to colonialism in Malaya, which prioritized conservatism and tradition while safeguarding the interests of the Malay aristocracy classes and, by extension, the Malay masses. The book demonstrates that the South Indians, whose identity, social existence, and prospects were intricately linked to imperial processes, benefited from colonialism and should be recognized as active transnational entities within a constructive system rather than passive victims of repressive and destructive forces.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032283098