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

Dr. Shane O’Rourke is a senior lecturer in the Department of History at the University of York.

• 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.