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The Political Economy of Indian Indentured Labour in the 19th Century

Author

Listed:
  • Neha Hui

    (Department of Economics, University of Reading)

  • Uma Kambhampati

    (Department of Economics, University of Reading)

Abstract

Abolition of slavery in British Colonies led to the facilitation of Indian indentured migration by the British Government. This form of migration came about when the discourse of economic freedom and individual liberty strongly resonated in British political-economy circles, following the work of Smith and Mill. We analyse how unfreedom in indentured labour was rationalised when the rhetoric of freedom was essential to the dominant intellectual milieu. We argue that indentured labour was a compromise between slavery and free labour because it facilitated free trade and some freedom of movement but was harder to justify in terms of individual liberty.

Suggested Citation

  • Neha Hui & Uma Kambhampati, 2020. "The Political Economy of Indian Indentured Labour in the 19th Century," Economics Discussion Papers em-dp2020-16, Department of Economics, University of Reading.
    • Handle: RePEc:rdg:emxxdp:em-dp2020-16
    as

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    File URL: http://www.reading.ac.uk/web/FILES/economics/emdp202016.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Groenewegen, Peter, 1992. "Alfred Marshall's Principles of Economics: A Centenary Perspective from the Antipodes," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(59), pages 219-233, December.
    2. Galenson, David W., 1984. "The Rise and Fall of Indentured Servitude in the Americas: An Economic Analysis," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 44(1), pages 1-26, March.
    3. Stephanie Barrientos & Uma Kothari & Nicola Phillips, 2013. "Dynamics of Unfree Labour in the Contemporary Global Economy," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(8), pages 1037-1041, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Classical political economy; Economic freedom; Individual liberty; Indentured labour; Slavery; Migration; Adam Smith; JS Mill;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B12 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought through 1925 - - - Classical (includes Adam Smith)
    • B13 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought through 1925 - - - Neoclassical through 1925 (Austrian, Marshallian, Walrasian, Wicksellian)
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • J70 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - General
    • N43 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • N36 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Latin America; Caribbean

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