Itinerant Belonging - Intimate Histories of Indian Ocean Capitalism

Along the coast of Gujarat, nineteenth-century merchant houses or havelis still stand in historic cities, connecting ports from Durban to Rangoon. In this ambitious and multifaceted work, Ketaki Pant uses these old spaces as a lens through which to view not only the vibrant stories of their occupants, but also the complex entanglements of Indian Ocean capitalism. These homes reveal new perspectives from colonized communities who were also major merchants, signifying ideas of family, race, gender, and religion, as well as representing ties to land. Employing concepts from feminist studies, colonial studies, and history, Pant argues that havelis provide a model for understanding colonial capitalism in the Indian Ocean as a spatial project. This is a rich exploration of both belonging and unbelonging and the ways they continue to shape individual and social identities today.

Product details

• Authors: Ketaki Pant, Ketaki (University of Southern California) Pant
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.05.2025
• EAN: 9781009601603
• ISBN: 978-1-0-0960160-3
• No. of pages: 255
• Series: Cambridge Oceanic Histories
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > Regional and national histories; Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900, 20th Century, Social & cultural history, 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000, 21st Century, Social & cultural anthropology, ethnography, c 1800 to c 1900, 19th century, c 1800 to c 1899, 21st century history: from c 2000 -, 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999, 21st century, c 2000 to c 2100, Social and cultural history, Social and cultural anthropology, Asian History, Indian sub-continent, South Asia (Indian sub-continent), HISTORY / Asia / South / General