The Origins of Colonial Labour Policy in Late Eighteenth-Century Madras

Content Provider	Scilit
Author	Ahuja, Ravi
Copyright Year	1999
Description	This article challenges the view that the English East India Company was unable effectively to dominate society in the colonial metropolis of Madras before the end of the eighteenth century. Instead it is argued that colonial interventions, even into the social organization of labour, were persistent in goals and methods and acquired institutional forms in the latter half of the century. Hence an early colonial labour policy is clearly discernible. The ruling block's strategies concerning the regulation of labour were not based on laissez-faire ideas but rather on a paternalistic brand of contemporary English social theory. This ideological disposition found practical expression in interventions into the city's labour relations by means of various “police committees”. Moreover, British legal techniques were used to regulate labour relations in Madras. On the whole, early colonial labour policy was distinguished from contemporary practices in Britain by a far higher level of coercion.
Related Links	https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/F3CD91A75F037BAED9EB76CBAA6E4842/S0020859099000462a.pdf/div-class-title-the-origins-of-colonial-labour-policy-in-late-eighteenth-century-madras-div.pdf
Ending Page	195
Page Count	37
Starting Page	159
ISSN	00208590
e-ISSN	1469512X
DOI	10.1017/s0020859099000462
Journal	International Review of Social History
Issue Number	2
Volume Number	44
Language	English
Publisher	Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Publisher Date	1999-08-01
Access Restriction	Open
Subject Keyword	International Review of Social History Colonial Labour Policy
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	History Social Sciences