The colonisation of time : ritual, routine and resistance in the British Empire

The Colonisation of Time is a highly original and long overdue examination of the ways that western-European and specifically British concepts and rituals of time were imposed on other cultures as a fundamental component of colonization during the nineteenth century. Based on a wealth of primary sources, it explores the intimate relationship between the colonization of time and space in two British settler-colonies (Victoria, Australia and the Cape Colony, South Africa) and its instrumental role in the exportation of Christianity, capitalism, and modernity, thus adding new depth to our understanding of imperial power and of the ways in which it was exercised and limited. All those intrigued by the concept of time will find this book of interest, for it illustrates how western-European time's rise to a position of global dominance—from the clock to the seven-day week—is one of the most pervasive, enduring, and taken-for-granted legacies of colonization in today's world. The Colonisation of Time is a highly original and long overdue examination of the ways that western-European and specifically British concepts and rituals of time were imposed on other cultures as a fundamental component of colonisation during the nineteenth century. Based on a wealth of primary sources, it explores the intimate relationship between the colonisation of time and space in two British settler-colonies (Victoria, Australia and the Cape Colony, South Africa) and its instrumental role in the exportation of Christianity, capitalism, and modernity, thus adding new depth to our understanding of imperial power and of the ways in which it was exercised and limited. All those intrigued by the concept of time will find this book of interest, for it illustrates how western-European time’s rise to a position of global dominance—from the clock to the seven-day week—is one of the most pervasive, enduring and taken-for-granted legacies of colonisation in today’s world. The Colonisation of Time is a highly original and long overdue examination of the ways that western-European and specifically British concepts and rituals of time were imposed on other cultures as a fundamental component of colonization during the nineteenth century. Based on a wealth of primary sources, it explores the intimate relationship between the colonization of time and space in two British settler-colonies (Victoria, Australia and the Cape Colony, South Africa) and its instrumental role in the exportation of Christianity, capitalism, and modernity, thus adding new depth to our understanding of imperial power and of the ways in which it was exercised and limited. All those intrigued by the concept of time will find this book of interest, for it illustrates how western-European time's rise to a position of global dominance from the clock to the seven-day week is one of the most pervasive, enduring, and taken-for-granted legacies of colonization in today's world Front matter Dedication Epigraph Contents List of figures and maps List of abbreviations General editor’s introduction Acknowledgments Note on terminology Introduction Clocks, Sabbaths and seven-day weeks: the forging of European temporal identities Terra sine tempore: colonial constructions of ‘Aboriginal time’ Cultural curfews: the contestation of time in settler-colonial Victoria ‘The moons are always out of order’: colonial constructions of ‘African time’ Empire of the seventh day: time and the Sabbath beyond the Cape frontiers Lovedale: missionary schools and the reform of ‘African time’ Conclusion: from colonisation to globalisation Select bibliography Index A highly original and long overdue examination of the ways that Western European and specifically British concepts and rituals of time were imposed on other cultures as a fundamental component of colonisation during the 19th century. Based on a wealth of primary sources, it explores the intimate relationship between the colonisation of time and space in two British settler-colonies (Victoria, Australia and the Cape Colony, South Africa) and its instrumental role in the exportation of Christianity, capitalism, and modernity, thus adding new depth to our understanding of imperial power and of the ways in which it was exercised and limited For those of us who live in capitalist societies, time keeping and time observance are pillars that structure our everyday lives. Nanni’s thought-provoking book is a reminder of one very significant moment in history when those pillars were defined by reference to a particular kind of colonial encounter, which is something that will be of interest to students of empire, historians of time, and post-colonial scholars This impressive book is the first sustained treatment of the effective British colonisation of indigenous time practices. Analysing both the Cape Colony and Australia, Nanni deftly draws our attention to the enormous significance of the temporal as well as the spatial, for the making of the colonial world' -- Alan Lester, Professor of Historical Geography at the University of Sussex The book is a highly original and long overdue examination of the ways that European concepts of time were imposed on other cultures as a component of colonisation. It brings together two complex subjects—time and colonialism—in an engaging, non-theoretical and accessible style.