A detailed study of Tamil participation in and subjection to the global slave trade, tracing transcontinental journeys, labour and social networks.


This book explores the lives of individuals who were enslaved, bought, sold and forcibly transported across continents from the Tamil coast. It argues that the region was deeply entangled in the global slave trade through European commercial networks. Tracing the journeys of Tamil slaves to destinations such as Melaka, Manila, Macao, Mexico City, Colima, Cape Town, Mauritius, Réunion, St. Helena and beyond - including in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Europe and North America - this study explores their social interactions, labour experiences and forced migrations. By drawing on underutilised yet richly detailed archival sources, this volume offers new insights into transnational and global history, focusing on merchant networks, global markets and intercontinental shipping.