Strategic Autonomy: Elite Indians, White Liberals, and the Reshaping of Johannesburg’s Welfare System, 1930s–1950s

Date of Award

Spring 1-1-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

History

First Advisor

Magaziner, Daniel

Abstract

This dissertation examines how elite Indians living under colonial and apartheid rule in Johannesburg strategically navigated their marginalization—not through overt rebellion, but by interacting with state institutions and advocacy organizations. Focusing on Johannesburg, South Africa’s economic and imperial center, this study explores how elite Indians participated in political negotiations that went beyond mere survival. While traditional scholarship often highlights the resistance of indentured laborers, this study shifts the focus to how elite Indians, due to their social and economic status, influenced discussions on belonging and citizenship in South Africa. Their use of privilege allowed them to challenge deep-rooted racial power structures in ways often overlooked in official records.In a context where both resources and a sense of belonging were systematically denied, these elite Indians—who were often economically better off than other marginalized groups—engaged in what I term “strategic autonomy.” Rather than submitting to or directly opposing the state, they navigated welfare systems and collaborated with state officials, social welfare workers, and medical personnel to assert their rights to essential public goods—such as healthcare, education, and housing—and to establish their permanent presence in the city. Their class position allowed them to maneuver these systems with more flexibility and influence than other subjugated communities, yet their activism remained rooted in the broader struggle against structural exclusion. Amid systemic neglect in the distribution of public resources, elite Indians sought recognition as a distinct group within South Africa’s rigid racial hierarchy. Their efforts were not only aimed at asserting their identity but also at ensuring that segregationist policies under both the United Party and the National Party addressed their specific needs. For instance, the lack of a distinct designation for Indians in hospitals often led to their classification alongside other racial groups, resulting in unequal treatment and limited access to healthcare resources. This lack of recognition in essential services spurred their advocacy, compelling them to demand acknowledgment of their permanence in the country and reinforcing their class-based claim to entitlement. Ultimately, this dissertation explores how elite Indians in South Africa leveraged welfare systems and their socioeconomic status to redefine their position within the racialized social hierarchy. By asserting their distinct status—neither colonizers nor the colonized—they sought to distance themselves from less privileged communities of color. In doing so, they aimed to secure access to essential public services and opportunities, while simultaneously contesting exclusionary policies that sought to limit their participation in broader society.

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