Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, Princess Isabel and the Ending of Servile Labour in Russia and Brazil

By (author) Shane O'Rourke

Publication date:

12 September 2023

Publisher

Anthem Press

Dimensions:

229x153mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9781839983160

Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna of Russia and Princess Isabel of Brazil were active participants in the struggle to end servile labor in their respective countries. They acted in defiance of political conventions which excluded women from any political activity. Both women were determined to do all in their power to further the cause of emancipation and to determine the terms under which serfs and slaves were emancipated. This book examines the political activities of the two royal women within the context of their respective societies and adopts a comparative approach.

Preface; Introduction; 1. Empires of Servility; 2. Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna and the Emancipation of the Serfs; 3. Princess Isabel and the Abolition of Slavery; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index

‘It is a highly original, ingenious and subtle analysis of the emancipation of serfs/slaves in Russia and Brazil, looked at through the optic of two royal princesses, Elena and Isabel. It explores the largely unappreciated role played by these two women in bringing about the end of servile labour, a role exercised through personal influence and outside the male realm of politics. The study is deeply researched, and the author’s command of Russian, Portuguese and French sources is impressive’— Professor Steve Smith, All Souls College, University of Oxford, UK.