Weaving imperial networks

an Asian Dimension of the British Atlantic Slave Trade in the 18th Century

Abstract

The eighteenth century saw the development of the Atlantic slave-based economy, sustained by a constant supply of labor from the African continent. On the Atlantic coast, in order to purchase captives foreign merchants had to meet local demands for trade commodities, notably Indian cotton textiles, which became a crucial product. During this period, the Anglo-Asian trade, conducted by the English East India Company, played a central role in the supply of Indian textiles for British slave traders. This paper addresses how British merchants procured textiles in India for Atlantic Africa. By examining this question, the paper illustrates a global cotton trade that extended between the areas where Indian textiles were produced and Atlantic Africa. Finally, the paper argues that the so-called “triangular trade” narrative should be replaced by another perspective that emphasizes the agency of African consumers and South Asian weavers.