Abstract
This essay examines the more-than-human agencies that shaped the early voyages of England’s East India Company (EIC) and the experiences of those who were involved in them (in part or in whole, willingly or unwillingly). How did things like ocean currents, pepper, books, rats, and shipworm support or undermine these ventures, it asks, and how might attending to such things affect our understanding of these voyages? Drawing on work in new materialism, the essay reflects in particular on how seafarers’ dependence on – and vulnerabilities to – more-than-human agencies might relate to early modern notions of heroic travel. These reflections lead to some concluding remarks on the potential for synergy between ecomaterialism and mobility studies.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Rethinking Migration |
| Subtitle of host publication | Challenging Borders, Citizenship and Race |
| Editors | Bridget Anderson |
| Place of Publication | Bristol |
| Publisher | University of Bristol Press |
| Chapter | 3 |
| Pages | 47-64 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978-1-5292-3448-0 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-1-5292-3447-3 |
| Publication status | Published - 25 Feb 2025 |