Post-slavery British empire building relied on Indian and Chinese indentured labor contracts.

Evidence

The experiences of indentured migrant laborers from South Asia and other regions stand in stark contrast to the violence of the forced migration inflicted on millions of enslaved Africans. After slavery was abolished in the nineteenth century, Britain was able to continue its empire-building project primarily by recruiting Indian and Chinese labor under indenture contracts (Jung 2006; Look Lai 1993). The labor contract became an important site to define work and, significantly, the rights associated with work, thus allowing the state to intervene in cases of malfeasance. — Junaid Rana, Terrifying Muslims, 471

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the broader literature on the shift from slavery to free/bonded labor in the British imperial economy.