Tropical disease and imperial medicine in colonial Sri Lanka

For centuries, cultural imperialism was at the heart of the Western colonizing project around the globe. Economic and health policies were twin pillars that sustained the material and cultural hegemony over indigenous populations. Medicine played a pivotal role, both as a tool of the colonial expansion and a potent symbol of the superiority of Western culture. This paper examines the impact of economic and health policies on the lives of Indian migrant labourers and the indigenous people of Sri Lanka during British colonial rule.