Recent Trends in the Writings of Indian Labour Historiography

Abstract

This paper looks into the changing patterns of Indian Labour Historiography with new labour history being discussed at length. Historiography of Indian labour was changing with changing times. During the colonial period it was dominated by colonial official-scholars who blamed socio-cultural factors of Indians for their backwardness in the industrial field. Marxism was next to affect Indian Labour Historiography. Marxists projected the workers as militant and leading class. By 1990s new labour history was initiated, which questioned the earlier forms of history writing. Writers belonging to this period produced extensive material on working class based on their multiple identities viz. caste, gender, religion etc. However inspite of this new approach there are many areas relating to working class which are still demanding attention.