Uncivil Liberalism: Labour, Capital and Commercial Society in Dadabhai Naoroji's Political Thought

Uncivil Liberalism explores how ideas of liberty from the colonized South were universalized in the North, focusing on Dadabhai Naoroji's political theory. It demonstrates how Naoroji critiqued British liberalism's incapacity for civil peace by linking communal riots in colonial Bombay to the Parsi minority's economic decline. He responded with his own liberalism, characterized by labor rights, economic republicanism, and social interdependence. The book also highlights how Naoroji's ideas influenced Western thinkers and numerous ideologies in colonial and post-colonial India, reframing Indian nationalists as global thinkers.

Format: Hardback
Length: 275 pages
Publication date: 10 November 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Uncivil Liberalism delves into the fascinating exploration of how the concept of liberty originating from the colonized South sought to assert its universality in the North. By reclaiming the political theory of Dadabhai Naoroji, India's pre-eminent liberal, this book presents an original and comprehensive global history of this transformative process. Focusing on Naoroji's profound concern with social interdependence and civil peace in a time of burgeoning cultural diversity and economic inequality, the book offers a fresh perspective on this historical narrative. It demonstrates how Naoroji utilized political economy to critique British liberalism's shortcomings in fostering civil peace by drawing connections between periods of communal unrest in colonial Bombay and the economic decline of the Parsi minority. In response, he pioneered his own brand of liberalism, characterized by robust labor rights, economic republicanism, and a deep commitment to social interdependence upheld through voluntary worker contracts. What makes this work particularly noteworthy is the author's recognition of Naoroji's influence on Western thinkers as well as his profound impact on numerous ideologies in colonial and post-colonial India. By presenting a compelling argument that reimagines Indian nationalists as global thinkers, this book adds a new dimension to our understanding of India's historical development.

Weight: 486g
Dimension: 241 x 160 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781009215541