The Overseer State: Slavery, Indenture and Governance in the British Empire, 1812–1916 (Critical Perspectives on Empire) (Original PDF from Publisher)

Description

Published by Cambridge University Press (2025) as part of the prestigious Critical Perspectives on Empire series, The Overseer State offers an incisive historical analysis of how labor regimes like slavery and indenture were not only systems of economic exploitation but also foundational to British imperial governance. By unpacking the legal, bureaucratic, and coercive structures that upheld these systems, the book traces the empire’s development into a regulatory overseer deeply embedded in colonial life.

This authoritative text is ideal for historians, political theorists, postcolonial scholars, students of imperial studies, and human rights researchers, particularly those focused on British colonial governance, race relations, forced labor systems, and institutional control.

 Key Features & Highlights

• First-of-its-kind study connecting labor regimes directly to the formation of British imperial governance.
• Based on archival research across multiple colonies and decades, from the Caribbean to South Asia.
• Explores state surveillance, disciplinary apparatuses, and the legal codification of inequality.
• Places slavery and indenture within a broader imperial framework of administrative control.
• Contributes to evolving debates in postcolonial theory, empire studies, and global labor history.
• Published in a leading academic series known for critical and interdisciplinary scholarship.

 Topics & Chapter Overview

Includes core chapters on:

• Colonial bureaucracy and racialized labor control
• The imperial logic of indenture as a post-slavery strategy
• Surveillance, punishment, and labor regulation in colonial outposts
• Comparative case studies from the Caribbean, Mauritius, India, and Africa
• The legacy of overseer systems in modern governance models

 About the Author

The author is a distinguished historian and scholar of empire and labor systems, with a focus on colonial governance, race, and the intersection of law and coercion. Their work appears in top journals and has shaped current debates in postcolonial and labor studies.

 File & Format Details

• Format: Original PDF (From Publisher)
• Edition: 1st Edition (2025)
• Language: English
• File Size: Approx. XX MB (varies by device)
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Compatibility: Readable on all devices supporting PDF – including PC, Mac, tablets, iOS, Android, and eReaders with PDF support

 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: Does this PDF include footnotes, references, and tables like the print edition?
Yes, this is the original PDF from the publisher, containing all the scholarly apparatus—footnotes, bibliographies, and data tables—exactly as in the printed version.

Q2: Is this suitable for academic citation and research work?
Absolutely. The book is a peer-reviewed publication from Cambridge University Press and is fully citable for university coursework, dissertations, and scholarly publications.