Tea War: A History of Capitalism in China and India

Andrew B. Liu, assistant professor of history, Villanova University

In this talk, Dr. Liu will present the arguments of his recently published book, Tea War: A History of Capitalism in China and India. Tea remains the world's most popular commercial drink today, and at the turn of the twentieth century, it represented the largest export industry of both China and colonial India. Challenging past economic histories premised on the technical "divergence" between the West and the Rest, Liu will discuss how seemingly traditional technologies and practices were central to modern capital accumulation across Asia. Integrating the histories of China and India through tea, he will talk about the possibilities for conjuring a more flexible and globally oriented conceptualization of the history of capitalism.

Registration is required to attend the Webinar. Once registered you will receive the link for the webinar.

Supported by a gift from Leung Tung Peter & Lin Young.

Organized by East Asian Languages and Cultures and WUSTL China Forum