Concept Note:
The largest group of Indian overseas immigrants resulted from the export of labour services, with indentured labour emerging as a leading example in this regard. The proliferation of the indentured system was driven mainly by two forces – first and foremost, in the face of strong condemnation on moral grounds from various parties, the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 brought about the abolition of the slave trade throughout the vast British Empire, with some exceptions (Blackburn 1988, 420), which resulted in a labour shortage in the plantation economy of the British overseas colonies. For instance, since the beginning of the 16th century, an era of imperialism brought about the successive annexation of many Southeast Asian countries by British colonialists. These early colonies were sparsely populated, leading the British to set their eyes on India – as a populous neighbouring country, where an abundant labour force with high skills and qualifications prevailed. Moreover, considering the British colonial hegemony in India at that time, it was easier to control and manipulate the Indian immigrants than Chinese or Japanese workers from other non-British colonies.
Transporting labour from British India to the British settlements in Southeast Asia served two purposes, alleviating the population pressure, as well as the domestic class and ethnic conflict in India, and serving as a source of labour for the colonies in Southeast Asia. An apprenticeship system was adopted with the emancipation of slaves that required all enslaved persons to be transformed into “apprentices”, and to continue labouring for their former masters for a period of four to six years in exchange for provisions. It was essentially slavery by another name (Burn 1937; Green 1976), although this new system came with some inherent flaws that led to its later abandonment. The former slaves had a stronger sense of legal and self-protection, and so refused to do their work, protesting the system of gradual emancipation, and demanding immediate and full liberation. To fill the labour “vacuum”, Hugh Tinker noted, The British Empire recruited nearly 15 million Indians from inland cities in northern India and the coastal cities of Eastern India and shipped them to the overseas British colonies as far away as Natal, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad, Suriname and Fiji to replace the former slaves on the sugar plantations. Nearby were places like Malaysia and Sri Lanka in Southeast Asia where Indians were forced to grow tea, pepper, coffee, rubber and palm oil, and to work in tin mining and logging for roads (Tinker 1974, 77).
In nature, they were indentured labour, known more commonly as Coolies or Piglets, and served as cheap labour, subject to the interests of the British colonialists, and with the typical characteristics of colonial subjects. Concerning the source of indentured labour, the early immigrants were Tamils from the Madras region of India, or Eastern Indians from the present-day Bangladesh. In the later period, the majority of immigrants were farmers from the north, such as from the Gangetic plain in Uttar Pradesh. In other words, the indentured laborers came mainly from the coastal areas of south India from the very beginning but were
Exploring Indian Migration during the British Colonial Period to Different Parts of the World
Indian migration during the British Raj represents a complex and multifaceted historical phenomenon that deserves in-depth exploration. This migration spanned several centuries and was characterized by the movement of millions of Indians to various corners of the world. While economic reasons often took precedence, the motivations behind this migration were diverse, encompassing a myriad of factors. To gain a comprehensive understanding of this historical event, we invite scholars, researchers and academicians, to submit chapters for this research project that delve into Indian migration during the British colonial era.
The project will address the following with reference to literature:
- Literary representation of Indian migration to South Africa during the British Raj
- Literary representation of Indian migration to East Africa during the British Raj
- Literary representation of Indian migration to West and North Africa during the British Raj
- Literary representation of Indian migration to Caribbean Islands during the British Raj
- Literary representation of Indian migration to Middle, East, and South Asia during the British Raj
- Literary representation of Indian migration to the Western World during the British Raj
This edited book adopts a comparative approach, filling a gap in existing literature. While other works focus on specific regions or offer historical or sociological perspectives, our project provides a comprehensive literary study.
Editors:
Dr. Shubhanku Kochar
Dr. M. Anjum Khan
Submission Guidelines:
- Email a 200-word chapter proposal and a 100-word author's bio-note to the editors by 15th December 2023.
- Acceptance notifications will be sent by 31st December 2023.
- Full chapters due by 30th April 2024.
Contact:
Email proposals to shubhankukochar@outlook.com and anjumkhanrs@gmail.com
