This book re-examines the history of working-class movements in Bengal by challenging conventional Marxist interpretations of class consciousness and solidarity. Dipesh Chakrabarty investigates the jute-mill workers of Calcutta between 1890 and 1940, exploring how their specific milieu shaped their capacity for collective action. He critiques emancipatory narratives within Marxist scholarship, questioning the applicability of categories like 'capital' and 'class consciousness' to the lived experiences of these workers. The study integrates Marxist historiography with post-structuralist and hermeneutic analytical traditions, ultimately proposing a documentary method that prioritizes the experiences of both workers and their European employers.

The book is recognized for its innovative approach to labor history, particularly its engagement with Marxist scholarship and post-structuralist thought. Scholars have noted Chakrabarty's meticulous focus on the specific experiences of the jute-mill workers, which challenges universalizing Marxist explanations. The work is appreciated for its sensitive documentary method and its contribution to theories connecting historiography with critical philosophical traditions. It is considered a significant text for understanding the complexities of class formation and political consciousness in colonial Bengal.