Book ID: CBB721793137

Tea and Empire: James Taylor in Victorian Ceylon (2017)

unapi

McCarthy, Angela (Author)
Devine, T. M. (Author)


Manchester University Press


Publication Date: 2017
Physical Details: 272 pp.
Language: English

This book brings to life for the first time the remarkable story of James Taylor, 'father of the Ceylon tea enterprise' in the nineteenth century. Publicly celebrated in Sri Lanka for his efforts in transforming the country's economy and shaping the world's drinking habits, Taylor died in disgrace and remains unknown to the present day in his native Scotland. Using a unique archive of Taylor's letters written over a 40-year period, Angela McCarthy and Tom Devine provide an unusually detailed reconstruction of a British planter's life in Asia at the high noon of empire. As well as charting the development of Ceylon's key commodities in the nineteenth century, the book examines the dark side of planting life including violence and conflict, oppression and despair. A range of other fascinating themes are evocatively examined, including graphic depictions of the Indian Mutiny, 'race' and ethnicity, environmental transformation, cross-cultural contact, and emotional ties to home.

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Reviewed By

Essay Review Matthew Mauger (2018) Writing Tea’s Empire. Annals of Science: The History of Science and Technology (pp. 255-259). unapi

Citation URI
https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB721793137/

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Authors & Contributors
Besky, Sarah
Sivasundaram, Sujit
Mauger, Matthew
Rappaport, Erika
Francks, Penelope
Winterbottom, Anna
Concepts
Tea and tea industry
Agriculture
Great Britain, colonies
Cross-cultural interaction; cultural influence
Imperialism
Colonialism
Time Periods
19th century
20th century
18th century
Modern
17th century
Places
Sri Lanka
India
Great Britain
Myanmar (Burma)
Indian Ocean
Japan
Institutions
East India Company (English)
Royal Society of London
British East India Company
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