Myths of South Asian Stasis

What is it about?

This article explores how eighteenth-century French merchants, manufacturers, scientists, philosophers and government officials understood the Indian economy, with a special focus on the textile sector. India was the center of global textile production, but many in France hoped to challenge its status by using scientific knowledge and new designs to establish France as a major exporter of 'Indian-style' dyed cotton cloth. I argue that their efforts to do so were critically related to the emergence of modern Orientalism, or negative stereotypes about Asia.

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