The Influx of Stout Thews and Thighs: Afghan Labor Migration to British India, c. 1850-1930

Today, the global Afghan diaspora contributes billions of dollars to the economy of Afghanistan. Many of those settled abroad rely on manual labor and remit much of their earnings to their families. Warner reveals how Afghan manual laborers who traveled to British India in the late 19th and early 20th century played an important role in imperial development projects as laborers and contractors. These seasonal migrants not only helped build the Raj, but also helped mitigate economic decline.