DOCSLIB.ORG

Lascars, C.1850 - 1950: the Lives and Identities of Indian Seafarers in Imperial Britain and India

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Lascars, C.1850 - 1950: the Lives and Identities of Indian Seafarers in Imperial Britain and India Lascars, c.1850 - 1950: The Lives and Identities of Indian Seafarers in Imperial Britain and India Ceri-Anne Fidler Student Number 012526765 Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2011 Cardiff University School of History, Archaeology and Religion UMI Number: U516542 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U516542 Published by ProQuest LLC 2013. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 PG/R/06/10 Cardiff UNIVERSITY PRIf YSGOL C a e RD y i§> SUMMARY OF THESIS: POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH DEGREES Please return the completed form to: School Research Office Please TYPE or write in BLACK ink and use BLOCK capitals SECTION A: TO BE COMPLETED BY THE CANDIDATE AND SUBMITTED WITH THE THESIS Student ID Number: 012526765 Title: Please circle appropriate value Ms/ Mrs/ Dr/ Rev/ Other, please specify ................ Surname: FIDLER First Names: CERI-ANNE School: SCHOOL OF HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY Please circle appropriate value Title of Degree: EdD, EngD, DSW, DCIinPsy, DHS, MCh, Md, MPhil, MPhU/£hD> MScD by Research, PhD/ Other, please specify ............. .V— Full Title of Thesis LASCARS, C.1850 - 1950: THE LIVES AND IDENTITIES OF INDIAN SEAFARERS IN IMPERIAL BRITAIN AND INDIA PG/R/06/10 Cardiff UNIVERSITY PRIF YSGOL C a e RDV[§) Student ID Number: 012526765 Summary of Thesis: M y PhD thesis focuses on the lives o f Indian Lascars or seafarers in Imperial Britain between 1850 and 1950. I explore their working and living conditions on these ships. Issues such as their health and accommodation on shipboard are discussed and compared to those o f their British colleagues. The relationships and hierarchies o f power on shipboard are also considered. M y thesis challenges the perception that Indian seafarers’ resistance was always lawful and not blind, personalised or violent (Balachandran). The concept of moral economy is employed to illustrate how Indian seafarers had certain expectations of their rights on shipboard and protested against violations o f these standards when opportunities arose. I explore British perceptions of Indian seafarers. For example, depictions of Indians in the British popular press are explored. The position of Indian seafarers in relation to other non- European seafarers is also considered. M y thesis explores how Indian seafarers constructed and negotiated identities both collectively and as individuals in different contexts and at different times. Building upon theoretical approaches to identity, I illustrate how Indian seafarers constructed multiple and fluid identities that changed over time. I describe how Indian seafarers were able to “shuffle identities like cards” (Colley) and illustrate the reasoning and choice behind their identities (Sen). I also consider how Indian seafarers constructed, negotiated and manipulated the boundaries of collective identities. It explores the role of the family in the migration process, whether temporarily for work or for more long term migration and settlement in Britain. The role of the family in India in the decision to migrate and their support for absent seafarers is documented. The impact o f prolonged absences o f seafarers on fam ily life is also explored. The role and status o f Indian seafarers’ families in Britain is also explored. Form: PGR_Submission_200701 NOTICE OF SUBMISSION OF THESIS FORM: Car d iff POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH UNIVERSITY PR I FYSGOL C ^ R D y ^ APPENDIX 1: Specimen layout for Thesis Summary and Declaration/Statements page to be included in a Thesis DECLARATION This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not concurrently submitted in candidature for any degree. Signed ..............................(candidate) Date ... J .f4 : .0. 11 ............. STATEMENT 1 This thesis is being submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of ............... (insert MCh, MD, MPhil, PhD etc, as appropriate) Signed .. ...... £ & & & / . (candidate) Date . 1 ........... STATEMENT 2 This thesis is the result of my own independent work/investigation, except where otherwise stated. Other sources are acknowledged by explicit references. Signed.. M J I X S lT . ............. (candidate) D ate. ........ STATEMENT 3 I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter- library loan, and for the title and summary to be made available to outside organisations. Signed . ^ 7 7 (candidate) Date ... :..St:!..( ........... STATEMENT 4: PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BAR ON ACCESS I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter- library loans after expiry of a bar on access previously approved by the Graduate Development Committee. Signed (candidate) Date ... .(Vf Form: PGR_Submission_200701 NOTICE OF SUBMISSION OF THESIS FORM: Car d iff POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH UNIVERSITY PRI FYSGOL C a e R D Y [§ > NOTICE OF SUBMISSION OF THESIS: POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH DEGREES Please TYPE or write in BLACK ink and use BLOCK capitals SECTION A: TO BE COMPLETED BY THE CANDIDATE AND SUBMITTED WITH THE THESIS CANDIDATE S LAST NAME FIDLER CANDIDATE’S FIRST NAME(S) CERI-ANNE CANDIDATE S ID NUMBER 012526765 SCHOOL SCHOOL OF HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY Please circle appropriate degree title TITLE OF DEGREE EdD, EngD, DSW, DCIinPsy, DHS, MCh, MD, MPhil, MScD by Research, PhD LASCARS, C.1850 - 1950: THE LIVES AND IDENTITIES OF INDIAN SEAFARERS IN IMPERIAL BRITAIN FULL TITLE OF THESIS IS THIS A RESUBMISSION? YES / NO THESIS SUBMITTED FOR Permanent Binding ^ EXAMINATION IN Temporary binding □ FULL ADDRESS FOR RECEIPT OF RESULT LETTER, DEGREE 81 WOODLAND STREET CERTIFICATE AND DETAILS OF MOUNTAIN ASH THE GRADUATION CEREMONY MID GLAM CF45 3RB You must notifv Cardiff University immediately if this address chanaes via: [email protected] DO YOU WISH TO ATTEND THE DEGREE CEREMONY YES CONTACT TELEPHONE (WITH DIALLING CODE) 01443 478746 EMAIL ADDRESS Ce< I QfYXXju! • COTS CANDIDATE SIGNATURE O ir t o y ^ DATE 1 Lascars. C.1850 - 1950: The Lives and Identities of Indian Seafarers in Imperial Britain and India Contents List of Tables Page i List of Illustrations Page ii List of Abbreviations Page iii Glossary Page iv Acknowledgements Pages v to vi Introduction Pages 1 to 21 Chapter One Indian seafarers' conditions of life and work on British merchant ships Pages 22 to 77 Chapter Two British perceptions of and attitudes towards Indian seafarers Pages 78 to 118 Chapter Three Positioning Identities: The Indian seaman's perspective Pages 119 to 160 Chapter Four The Family Lives of Indian Seafarers Pages 161 to 194 Conclusion Pages 195 to 197 Primary Source Bibliography Pages 198 to 208 Secondary Source Bibliography Pages 209 to 219 List of Tables Table One Number of Lascars employed, 1891 -1 9 2 0 . Page 5 Table Two Number of Lascars employed, 1921 -1 9 3 8 . Page 6 Table Three Merchant Navy Death Rates, 1921 -1 9 3 0 . Page 27 Table Four European seafarers' admissions to hospitals Page 28 in the port of Calcutta, 1928 -1 9 32 . Table Five Indian Seafarers' admissions to hospitals in Page 29 the port of Calcutta, 1928-1932. Table Six Indian seafarers' Scale of Provisions, 1883. Page 35 Table Seven Indian Seafarers' Scale of Provision for ports Page 36 other than Bombay, 1931. Table Eight Special Scale of Provisions for Bombay crews, Page 37 1931. Table Nine Indian Seafarers' Scale of Provisions, 1937. Page 38 Table Ten A comparative table of wages in the Merchant Page 42 Navy, 1930 Table Eleven Comparison of Wage Rates for Calcutta (1914) Page 45 and Bombay (1915). Table Twelve Comparison of Wage Rates for Calcutta (1919) Page 46 and Bombay (1920). Table Thirteen Monthly Remittances from Prisoners of War. Page 175 i List of Illustrations Plate One Sunday Morning Parade of the Lascars Page 52 Plate Two Row of Lascars in a line being inspected Page 53 on board ship, 1935 Plate Three Six Lascars squatting on the ground working Page on a large rope, 1936. Plate Four 1908 Demonstration: Voice of the North. Page 98 Plate Five 1908 Demonstration: Chinese on British Ships. Page 99 Plate Six To the Poor House Page 100 Plate Seven The Language Test Page 101 Plate Eight Lascars Page 110 Plate Nine Bengalen: At prayer on deck, 1910. Page 128 Plate Ten A Goan altar dedicated to St Francis Xavier Page 129 on board the P&O liner 'Strathallen', 1938. List of Abbreviations IOR: India Office Records, British Library. IW M : Imperial War Museum, London. IW W : Industrial Workers of the World. MOL: Museum of London. MRC: Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick. NAI: National Archives of India, New Delhi. N M M : National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. P&O: Peninsula and Oriental Steam Navigation Company. RCU: Royal Commission on Labour in India. TNA: The National Archives, London. Glossary Articles of Agreement: Contract between the seamen and Captain and Master of the Ship. Set out wage rates and conditions of employment. Belaying Pin: A nautical instrument traditionally used to secure lines or on square rigged ships. A solid metal or wooden bar with a curved top portion and cylindrical bottom part. Bhandary: Cook. Cassab: Crew member in charge of the deck stores. Donkeyman: Crew member in charge of the operation and maintenance of auxiliary machinery such as generators, pumps and the "donkey" steam boiler - a boiler used to provide steam to deck machinery when the main boiler was shut down, for example when in port. Fireman: A member of the engine room department responsible for shovelling coal into the boilers and maintaining the fires.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 2017-18 AIPS Annual Report
    2017-2018 Annual Report of the American Institute of Pakistan Studies 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Cover Photo Credit: Edward Almasy Junior Scholars Conference ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2-6 Fellowships ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 Funded by CAORC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 Funded by AIPS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 Travel Grants ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8-11 Funded by CAORC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8-9 Funded by AIPS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10-11 Short-Term Research Grants ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 12-13 Junior Faculty Training and Exchange Program ------------------------------------------------------ 14-19 Exchanges: US Scholars to Pakistan ------------------------------------------------------------ 14-18 Exchanges: Pakistani Scholars to US Institutions ------------------------------------------------ 19 2016-17 AIPS Book Prize --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 Co-Sponsored Events --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21-24
    [Show full text]
  • Muslim Women in the UK and Bosnia: Religious Identities in Contrasting Contexts Sanja Bilic Phd the University of York Centre Fo
    Muslim Women in the UK and Bosnia: Religious Identities in Contrasting Contexts Sanja Bilic PhD The University of York Centre for Women’s Studies September, 2013 Abstract This thesis explores Muslim women’s religious identities and the processes through which they construct and narrate these identities by comparing Bosnian and UK Muslim women. Disproportionate political and media attention on Muslim women in Europe has in turn prompted an increase in academic interest. However, most academic research neglects the experiences of the indigenous European Muslim women thereby maintaining the image of the foreign ‘other’. This research forges a more inclusive approach by considering the views of indigenous European Muslim women. The study is based on interviews with 20 Muslim women, four focus groups and observation of the activities of three Muslim women’s organisations. I subscribe to a feminist perspective where participants’ voices are privileged and, since I belong to both communities, the complexities of my positionality were constantly reflected upon during the course of the research. My analysis is organised around three main themes that emerged from my participants’ accounts of religious identity: family life, hijab and women’s organisations. Family was identified as an important factor in these women’s early perceptions of Islam. However, violent events – the war in Bosnia and the effects of 9/11 and 7/7 in the UK – affected women’s reflections on what it means to be a Muslim woman in Europe, initiating independent re-evaluation of religious identity. This process was transformative, often resulting in a decision to wear the hijab and/or to seek out spaces that encourage a positive sense of Muslim identity such as women’s organisations.
    [Show full text]
  • The Voyages of South Asian Seamen, C.1900–1960
    IRSH 51 (2006), Supplement, pp. 111–141 DOI: 10.1017/S002085900600263X # 2006 Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis Mobility and Containment: The Voyages of South Asian Seamen, c.1900–1960Ã Ravi Ahuja LASCARS IN A SEGMENTED LABOUR MARKET In the political and economic context of imperialism, the enormous nineteenth-century expansion of shipping within and beyond the Indian Ocean facilitated the development of a new and increasingly transconti- nental regime of labour circulation. The Indian subcontinent, it is well known, emerged as a seemingly inexhaustible source for plantation, railway, and port labour in British colonies across the globe. Moreover, the new and predominantly seaborne ‘‘circulatory regime’’1 itself relied to a considerable extent on the labour power of South Asian workers, on the lascar, as the maritime counterpart of the ‘‘coolie’’ labourer was called. The number of Indian workers on the decks and in the engine rooms and saloons of merchant vessels grew considerably along with the rise of long- distance steam shipping in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. During the interwar years, on average about 50,000 South Asian seamen were employed on British merchant vessels alone and many thousands more by German and other European shipping companies. In this period, lascars made up roughly a quarter of all ratings on British merchant ships – a proportion that remained fairly stable well into the 1960s, despite the end of the colonial regime.2 Ã Research for this article was undertaken during a fellowship at the Centre for Modern Oriental Studies (Berlin) and funded by the German Research Council. I have greatly profited from the lively discussions of the Centre’s Indian Ocean History Group (K.
    [Show full text]
  • Boatswain's Pipe, the Office of Student Housing Rule Supersedes Those Found in This Publication
    Boatswain’s Pipe State University of New York Maritime College “Boatswain’s Pipe” 2013 Edition of the MUG Book Cadet’s Name ________________________________________ Room No. ________________________________________ Key No. ________________________________________ Indoctrination Section ________________________________________ Platoon ________________________________________ Company ________________________________________ Student ID No. ________________________________________ This book was created by the efforts of many Maritime College Cadets, past and present, and is dedicated to help incoming MUGs make their transition to Maritime College and the Regiment of Cadets. "One Hand" Introduction President’s Welcome As the 10th President of the State of New York Maritime College, it is my privilege to welcome you to our nation’s First and Foremost such institution. Steeped in more than 125 years of tradition and a proud history that runs deep and strong, the Maritime College remains a premier institution and a global leader in the field of maritime education and training. We intend to maintain such leadership through a continuing process of strategic improvement of our programs and facilities as well as key engagements and focused outreach to leading industries and academic institutions across a variety of fronts, both nationally and internationally. I can state without reservation that few colleges offer you the combination of such a highly respected academic degree with a strong, hands-on practical component (including Summer Sea Terms onboard our training ship Empire State VI), the opportunity to obtain a Merchant Marine officer’s license, a commission in the armed services if you choose, and the unsurpassed leadership opportunities availavle in the Regiment of Cadets. Indeed few such opportunities in life allow you to grow so rapidly and develop both leadership and technical competencies, which are in high demand in today’s globally integrated and complex environment.
    [Show full text]
  • BVCM019114 Está Escrito Porque Está Escrito. Raqs Media Collective
    Raqs Media Collective, Aquí, en otro lugar (Rueda de escape)—Now, Elsewhere (Escapement), 2009-2014 Publicado en colaboración con la Consejería de Empleo, Turismo y Cultura, Dirección General de Bellas Artes, del Libro y de Archivos de la Comunidad de Madrid, con motivo de la exposición Raqs Media Collective. Es posible porque es posible (12 de junio a 19 de octubre de 2014) CA2M, Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo, Madrid, España; MUAC, Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo. UNAM (7 de marzo a 28 de junio de 2015), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F.; Fundación PROA (2015), Buenos Aires, Argentina. — Published in collaboration with the Regional Ministry of Employment, Tourism and Culture, General Direction of Fine Arts, Books and Archives of the Regional Government of Madrid on the occasion of the exhibition Raqs Media Collective. It’s possible because it’s possible (June RAQS MEDIA 12 to October 19, 2014) CA2M Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo, Madrid, Spain; MUAC, Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo. UNAM (March 7 to June 28, 2015), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City; Fundación PROA (2015), Buenos Aires, Argentina. Textos—Texts COLLECTIVE Raqs Media Collective Cuauhtémoc Medina Traducción—Translation Omegar Martínez Oliver Davidson — Prefacio: Jaime Soler Frost ESTÁ ESCRITO PORQUE ESTÁ ESCRITO Coordinación editorial—Editorial Coordination IT’S WRITTEN BECAUSE IT’S WRITTEN Ekaterina Álvarez Romero · MUAC Víctor de las Heras Iglesias · CA2M Corrección—Proofreading Ekaterina Álvarez Romero · MUAC Omegar Martínez Asistente editorial—Editorial Assistant Ana Xanic López · MUAC Diseño—Design Cristina Paoli · Periferia Taller Gráfico Asistente de formación—Layout Assistant María Vázquez Fotografía—Photography Andrés Arranz Raqs Media Collective p.
    [Show full text]
  • U.S. Coast Guard Enlisted Rates & Ratings
    US COAST GUARD RATES 7/26/93 RANK COOE RANK DESCRIPTION SORTED BY ABBREVIATED SHORT TITL£ 1 OFFiCER UGHTHOUSESVCUSCG NO GRADE LISTED 1STMUS FIRST MUSICIAN (1ST CLASS OFFICER) 1934 1948 PG2 P01 3 CL OILER OILER 3RD CLASS NO GRADE USTED AOC AVIATION ORDNANCEMAN CHIEF OFFICER 1948 1975(4) CPO AA (2) AIRMAN APPRENTICE 19757 PRESENT AC1 AIR CONTROLMAN 1ST CLASS OFFICER 1949 1.9527 P01 AC2 (1) AIR CONTROLMAN 2ND CLASS PETTY OFFICER 1949 19527 P02 AC3 AIR CONTROLMAN 3RD CLASS PETTY OFFICER 1949 19527 E·4 Poa ACC AIR CONTROLMAN CHIEF OFFICER 1949 E-7 CPO AVIATION CHIEF CARPENTER'S MATE (CHIEF ACCM OFFICER) 1934 1948 PG1 CPO AVIATION CHIEF ELECTRICIAN'S MATE (CHIEF PETTY ACEM(3) OFfiCER - WWII) 1941 1948 E-1 CPO ACM1 AVIATION CARPENTER'S MATE 1ST CLASS PETTY OFFICER 1934 1948 PG2 P01 ACM2 AVIATION CARPENTER'S MATE 2ND CLASS PETTY OFFICER 1934 1948 PG3 P02 ACM3 AVIATION CARPENTER'S MATE 3RD CLASS PETTY OFFICER 1934 1948 PG4 P03 AVIATION CHIEF MACHINIST'S MATE (CHIEF PETTY ACMM OFFICER) 1934 1948 PG1 CPO AD1 AVIATION MACHINIST'S MATE PETTY 1ST CI.ASS 1948 PRESENT E-6 P01 AD2 AVIATION MACHINIST'S MATE PETTY OFFICER 2ND CLASS 1948 PRESENT E-5 P02 AD3 AVIATION MACHINIST'S MATE OFFIC.ER 3RD CLASS 1948 PRESENT E-4 PCl3 ADAA AVIATION MACHINIST'S MATE AIRMAN APPRENTICE 1975(2) PRESENT ADAN AVIATION MACHINIST'S MATE AIRMAN 1975(2) PRESENT E-a ADAR AVIATIQN MACHINIST'S MATE AIRMAN RECRUIT 1975(2) PRESENT E-1 AVIATION MATE CHIEF OFFI.CER 1948 PRESENT E-7 CPO AVIATION MACHINIST'S MATE SENIOR CHIEF PETTY ADCS OFFICER 1958 PRESENT SCPO ADM ADMIRAL (FOUR STARS)
    [Show full text]
  • Indo-Caribbean African-Isms
    Indo-Caribbean African-isms: Blackness in Guyana and South Africa By Andre Basheir A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Graduate Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education University of Toronto © Copyright by Andre Basheir 2013 ii Indo-Caribbean African-ism: Blackness in Guyana and South Africa Master of Arts, 2013 Andre Basheir, Sociology and Equity Studies in Education, University of Toronto Abstract In an attempt to close the gaps between diaspora and regional studies an Afro-Asian comparative perspective on African and Indian identity will be explored in the countries of Guyana and South Africa. The overlying aim of the ethnographic research will be to see whether blackness can be used as a unifier to those belonging to enslaved and indentured diasporas. Comparisons will be made between the two race models of the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean worlds. A substantial portion will be set aside for a critique of the concept of Coolitude including commentary on V.S. Naipaul. Further, mixing, creolization, spirituality and the cultural politics of Black Consciousness, multiculturalism, and dreadlocks will be exemplified as AfroAsian encounters. iii Acknowledgements Firstly, I like to thank all the people in the areas I conducted my fieldwork (South Africa especially). I befriend many people who had enormous amounts of hospitality. Specifically, Mark, Bridgette and family as well as Omar, Pinky and Dr. Naidoo and family for letting me stay with them and truly going out of their way to help my research efforts. Many thanks goes to a large list of others that I interviewed.
    [Show full text]
  • 2008 Winners Magazine
    LL greek awards 09 fc 28/1/09 11:55 Page 1 © 2008 Ernst & Young All Rights Reserved. Shipping transactions We’ve been in these waters before When the time comes, choose a team that knows how to navigate the waters before and after the transaction. We’ve been in these waters before. By drawing on our collective knowledge and experience, we provide an understanding of the issues every step of the way. All hands on deck. ey.com/eyse Contacts Dimitris Constantinou on +30 210 2886 212 or [email protected] John Evangelou on +30 210 2886 172 or [email protected] Sofia Kalomenides on +30 210 2886 199 or [email protected] THE WINNERS Contents Awards & Winners 9 Dry Cargo Company of the Year Anangel Maritime Services 11 Tanker Company of the Year Eletson Corporation 13 Passenger Line of the Year Anek Lines 15 Shipbroker of the Year Carriers Chartering Corporation WRITER Nigel Lowry 17 Shipping Financier of the Year CHIEF EXECUTIVE MARITIME Fotini Liontou Dimitris Anagnostopoulos PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Nicola Whyke 19 Technical Innovation Award EXECUTIVE EDITOR Dimitris Tsalapatis Christopher Mayer AWARDS MANAGEMENT 21 Piraeus International Centre Award Event Producer: Peter Attwater Event Administration: Shelagh Ingledow Laboratory for Maritime Transport (NTUA) ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Kelvin McManus 25 International Personality of the Year SPONSORSHIP SALES Admiral Thad W Allen Janet Wood PRODUCTION DIRECTOR 27 Achievement in Safety or Alf Tarling Environmental Protection PRODUCTION EDITOR John McDonald Basil Phrixos Papachristidis PHOTOGRAPHER Emmanuella Bourbouhakis 29 Seafarer of the Year DEPUTY PICTURE EDITOR Captain Lazaros Vasileiades Chris Aylott ADVERTISING PRODUCTION 31 Special Award ± `Man of the Sea' Russell Borg Captain Kristo Laptalo EDITORIAL, ADVERTISING AND SUBSCRIPTIONS INQUIRIES 33 Ship of the Year Lloyd's List, 69-77 Paul Street, London EC2A 4LQ Tel: +44 (0)20 7017 5000 `Toisa Pegasus' Fax: +44 (0)20 7017 4975 Top Ships.
    [Show full text]
  • Sources for the Study of South Asian People in Britain, 1600-1947
    Sources for the Study of South Asian People in Britain, 1600-1947 www.bl.uk/subjects/black-britain-and-asian-britain Introduction Dean Mahomed (1759-1851), George IV's 'Shampooing Surgeon'. (Frontispiece, Shampooing, 1826). The British Library: 1507/1395). © The British Library Board. The British Library holds a wealth of materials illuminating the lives and experiences of a wide range of people from South Asia who came to Britain between 1600 and 1947, some of whom settled here. Traces of their lives can be found in the following sources: • India Office Records (IOR) • India Office Private Papers (Mss Eur) • Printed collections in European and South Asian languages • Newspapers • Ephemera • Prints, drawings and photographs • Oral history The India Office Records document, within the context of colonialism, the experiences of a range of Asian people visiting or living in Britain from 1600-1947. Only a small sample of the material relating to individuals and groups of South Asian people is provided here. Further information is in the online catalogues. Martin Moir’s General Guide to the India Office Records, (The British Library, 1988) explains the arrangement and content of the India Office Records. A PDF of Martin Moir’s Guide can be downloaded from the India Office Records and Private Papers Collection Guide. There are separate online catalogues for printed material and oral history. The published works of scholars in the field cited in the bibliography provide further information on source material at the British Library and elsewhere. www.bl.uk/subjects/black-britain-and-asian-britain 1 Sources for the Study of South Asian People in Britain, 1600-1947 The following guide, which focusses primarily on the India Office Records and Private Papers, has been compiled by Dr Rozina Visram, historian of the Asian presence in Britain and the author of several publications on the subject of Asian migration.
    [Show full text]
  • Britain's Destitute Indians and Questions Of
    Imperial Responsibilities: Britain’s Destitute Indians and Questions of (Un)Belonging, 1834-1914 Raminder K. Saini Department of History and Classical Studies Faculty of Arts McGill University, Montreal August 2017 A thesis submitted to McGill University in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy © Raminder Saini 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... iii Résumé .......................................................................................................................................... iv Acronyms and Abbreviations .........................................................................................................v List of Tables, Figures, and Illustrations ...................................................................................... vi Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... vii Introduction ...................................................................................................................................1 Historiography: Britain’s South Asian Past ...........................................................................8 Scope of Study: Towards a History of Destitute Indians .....................................................16 Chapter One – “Protection for Lascars”: Creating Spaces for Relief ...................................24
    [Show full text]
  • 'The Most Cosmopolitan Island Under the Sun'
    ‘The Most Cosmopolitan Island under the Sun’? Negotiating Ethnicity and Nationhood in Everyday Mauritius Reena Jane Dobson Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Centre for Cultural Research University of Western Sydney December 2009 The work presented in this thesis is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, original except as acknowledged in the text. I hereby declare that I have not submitted this material either in full or in part, for a degree at this or any other institution. Reena Dobson Dedication I dedicate this thesis to my grandmother, my Nani, whose life could not have been more different from my own. I will always be grateful that I was able to grow up knowing her. I also dedicate this thesis to my parents, whose interest, support and encouragement never wavered, and who were always there to share stories and memories and to help make the roots clearer. Acknowledgements At the tail end of a thesis journey which has involved entangled routes and roots, I would like to express my deepest and most heartfelt thanks to my wonderful partner, Simon White, who has been living the journey with me. His passionate approach to life has been a constant inspiration. He introduced me to good music, he reminded me to breathe, he tiptoed tactfully around as I sat in writing mode, he made me laugh when I wanted to cry, and he celebrated every writing victory – large and small – with me. I am deeply indebted to my brilliant supervisors, Associate Professor Greg Noble, Dr Zoë Sofoulis and Associate Professor Brett Neilson, who have always been ready with intellectual encouragement and inspiring advice.
    [Show full text]
  • Serangs, Tindals, and Lascar Mutiny, C.1780–1860*
    IRSH 58 (2013), Special Issue, pp. 153–175 doi:10.1017/S002085901300028X r 2013 Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis ‘‘Lord of the Forecastle’’: Serangs, Tindals, and Lascar Mutiny, c.1780–1860* A ARON J AFFER Department of History, University of Warwick Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT: This article focuses on the diverse body of seafarers from the Indian Ocean region known as ‘‘lascars’’. Very little is known about mutiny amongst those employed aboard European merchantmen during the age of sail. Private voyage journals and other sources offer scattered glimpses of demonstrations, strikes, and assaults on officers. Lascars used such tactics to air grievances, resist unpopular orders, and extract concessions from their superiors. They also took part in more serious forms of mutiny, in which they murdered captains, commandeered ships, and expropriated cargoes. The depositions taken in connection with such incidents provide an unparalleled window on to their working lives. Labour intermediaries known as serangs and tindals feature prominently in these various disturbances. The unique position they occupied enabled them to undermine European officers and even depose captains. Their involvement in shipboard uprisings serves as a reminder of the ways in which mutiny could be staged, manipulated, and controlled. INTRODUCTION There is now an extensive literature devoted to ‘‘lascars’’, a fluid term used to describe sailors from the Indian Ocean region employed on European vessels. Although sometimes used only to denote south Asian seafarers, it might also include those of south-east Asian, Arab, or African origin.1 * Research for this article was supported by generous grants from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the William Edwards Educational Charity, and the Economic History Society.
    [Show full text]