How many histories of labour? : towards a theory of postcolonial capitalism

Ten years after its publication it is difficult to overestimate the importance of Dipesh Chakrabartyââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s Provincializing Europe and its influence on several diverse disciplines as well as on cross-disciplinary research and theoretical practices. It is even banal to say that it marked a critical threshold in the writing of postcolonial histories. What is more striking is to follow the multifarious ways in which Chakrabartyââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s theoretical project has shaped the work of scholars in fields seemingly outside the scope of the book: from the critique of US-American ââ"šÂ¬Ã‹Å“exceptionalismââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ to medieval history. The influence of the book was not limited to historical research: the idea of provincializing Europe played an important role in philosophical, sociological and anthropological debates, while it contributed to framing the general discussion of knowledge production in an age of globalization. As far as I am personally concerned, it is fair to acknowledge my debt to Chakrabartyââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s book: the engagement with Provincializing Europe has deeply shaped my work in the fields of postcolonial theory, migration, border and citizenship studies in the last decade.