'Lazy' Natives, Coolie Labour, and the Assam Tea Industry.

The article discusses the social history of the tea industry in Assam, India from its inception in 1834. In particular, the use of imported migrant labor ("coolies") from other parts of British India are discussed, along with the importance of the tea industry to local Assamese society. The racial and cultural aspects of Assam tea production are discussed in detail, including the predominance of white British planters, the importation of Chinese and then Indian indentured labor, and the limited participation of local people.