The Imperial Underbelly: Workers, Contractors, and Entrepreneurs in Colonial India and Scandinavia

A new analysis of the interconnected labour and economic history of colonial India and Scandinavia is presented in the book, which revises Indian labour history and Scandinavian modern history and establishes a bridge between two poor regions as sites of extraction and industrial transformation. Drawing on rich archival sources, it offers deep insights into everyday business practices of European contractors in India.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 01 November 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The book explores a fascinating intersection of labour and economic history, shedding light on the interconnected experiences of colonial India and Scandinavia. Drawing upon a newly discovered archive of private and business papers from a railway contractor, the studies revise our understanding of Indian labour history and Scandinavian modern history, while also establishing a crucial link between south Sweden and the British Empire. Through in-depth insights into the daily work practices of Indian and European contractors and manual labourers, the book establishes a profound connection across the globe, linking two impoverished regions as sites of extraction and industrial transformation driven by global migration and capital flows.

Rich archival sources, including the Joseph Stephens Archive, Maharashtra State Archives, the National Archives of India, and the British Library, provide invaluable insights into the business practices of European contractors in India, which have remained largely unexplored and inaccessible until now. This groundbreaking work offers a fresh perspective on the complex dynamics of colonialism, revealing the intricate ways in which economic and labour systems were intertwined, and shaping the trajectories of both India and Scandinavia during the transformative years of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The book is a valuable resource for students, academics, and teachers of history, labour studies, subaltern studies, colonialism, imperialism, economic history, railways, economics, and Scandinavian and South Asian studies. It provides a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to understanding the complex interplay between labour, entrepreneurship, and globalisation, and offers valuable insights into the historical and contemporary legacies of these interactions.

Weight: 530g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032320922