Jute in the world, worlds of jute

Abstract

This paper is in two parts. The first sketches out the reach of jute round the world from ancient times to the present, and, through examples ranging from Brazil to Bangladesh and from Cote d'Ivoire to the USA, makes the case that jute has played such a significant role that it deserves a place in world history alongside other great commodities like spices, sugar, tea, cotton, coal, and oil, that have shaped global history. The second part of the paper opens up the worlds of jute - from peasants who grew the jute, to male and female workers in Calcutta and Dundee, to the factory owners and managers - and makes comparisons between jute settings in different countries. A key issue explored is the interplay between the economic and ideological forces inherent in the manufacturing and marketing of jute products and the local cultures and traditions of workers and peasants within which the drama of jute was played out.