Nobodies to Somebodies

Ths book examine the origins and growth of the bougeoisie in SriLanka during the british rule, an important but neglected aspect of the country's modern history. It traces the evolution of the bourgeoisie from a feudal society and mercantalist economy, to the age of plantation. Local merchants accumulated capital through arrack and toll renting, diversifying into plantation cultivation and graphite mining, thereby making dents in the old caste based division of labour.