Plantation labour : rubber planters and the colonial state in French Indochina, 1890-1939
This thesis provides a different interpretation and new insights on Vietnam's social and economic history through a study of Indochina's rubber planters and migrant contract labour up to 1939. A different reading of available material and use of new sources, such as Michelin Archives, Archives of the Colonial Union, the ComitĂ© de l'Indochine, Nam Dinh and Hanoi's local Archives, supplemented by interviews with former rubber plantation workers, have been used to clarify obscure points and advance grasp of a subject that is yet to be fully and objectively studied. Apart from arguing that the role of the colonial state over labour was more than just a response to planter demands for assistance, I also postulate that labour supplying areas were neither overpopulated, invariably poor nor were recruits hapless. Rich agricultural lands, mineral resources, modem industry in parts of Tonkin, numerous craft industries, together with the all supportive Vietnamese Commune, provided Tonkin's peasants with varied means of subsistence. At the same time, I have argued that forced recruitment of labour was not practical or rational, especially in Northern Indochina, where the French colonial administration was superimposed
Kalikiti, Webby Silupya
Vietnam
Plantation labour : rubber planters and the colonial state in French Indochina, 1890-1939. This thesis provides a different interpretation and new insights on Vietnam's social and economic history through a study of Indochina's rubber planters and migrant contract labour up to 1939. A different reading of available material and use of new sources, such as Michelin Archives, Archives of the Colonial Union, the ComitĂ© de l'Indochine, Nam Dinh and Hanoi's local Archives, supplemented by interviews with former rubber plantation workers, have been used to clarify obscure points and advance grasp of a subject that is yet to be fully and objectively studied. Apart from arguing that the role of the colonial state over labour was more than just a response to planter demands for assistance, I also postulate that labour supplying areas were neither overpopulated, invariably poor nor were recruits hapless. Rich agricultural lands, mineral resources, modem industry in parts of Tonkin, numerous craft industries, together with the all supportive Vietnamese Commune, provided Tonkin's peasants with varied means of subsistence. At the same time, I have argued that forced recruitment of labour was not practical or rational, especially in Northern Indochina, where the French colonial administration was superimposed
plantation labour planter colonial_state french indochina provide different interpretation new_insight vietnam social_economic history study indochina planter migrant contract labour different read available_material use new source colonial union local supplement interview former plantation worker use clarify obscure point advance grasp subject yet_fully objectively study apart argue role colonial_state labour response planter demand assistance also postulate labour supply area neither invariably poor recruit rich agricultural land mineral resource modem industry part numerous craft industry together supportive vietnamese provide peasant vary mean subsistence time argue force recruitment labour practical rational especially northern indochina french colonial administration superimpose