Economic And Social History Of Modern India

This Book Offers A Comprehensive Profile Of The Socio-Economic History Of Modern India From 1757-1947. It Is An Attempt At Giving A Simplified And Balanced Account Of The Complex Events Which Marked The Period Under Review. Throughout The 17Th And 18Th Centuries, India Maintained A Favourable Balance Of Trade, And Had A Stable Economy. Self-Sufficient Agriculture, Flourishing Trade And Rich Handicraft Industries, Which Were Some Of The Main Features Of Indian Economy. During The Last Half Of The 18Th Century, India Was Conquered By A Trading Corporation, The English East India Company. Along With The Consolidation Of British Political Hegemony In India, There Followed, The Colonization Of Its Economy. Further, The British Rule Also Dealt A Fatal Blow To The Peculiar Feudal Framework Which Provided The Matrix For The Indian Society For A Millennium.The British Conquest Led To The De-Industrialization Of The Country And Increased Dependence Of People On Agriculture. The Land System Of The British Ruined The Peasantry, And Agriculture Declined Steadily. It Was Responsible For The Economic Backwardness Of Colonial India. No Doubt, The Establishment Of Modern Industries Gave Rise To The Working Class In India, But The Harsh Conditions In Which They Had To Work Led To Steady Growth Of Proletarian Movement. Similarly The Modern Means Of Communication Were Established Mainly To Serve The Interests Of England In India. During The British Raj, Though The Volume Of Trade Increased, The Balance Of Payment Was Not At All Favourable For India.The Last Six Chapters Of The Book Deal With The Society, Caste Structure, Western Intellectual And Ideological Influence, Socio-Religious Reform Movements, Education, Social Mobility Etc. The Transformation That Came-About Was Limited In Nature. Process Of Social Mobility Has Been At Work In The Modern Periods. At The Same Time We Witnessed The Growing Assertion Of The Lower Castes Against The Higher Castes In The Political And Economic Domains. This Book Is Designed Primarily To Meet The Needs Of The Students And Examinees Offering Social And Economic History Of Modern India As Subjects For Various Universities And Competitive Examinations.

The studies on economic history of modern India had a very late beginning. During the early stage of historiography, a few historians recognized the connection between political and economic history remained a chapter on economic conditions only. Causes and effects of economy were never and analyzed. This book attempts to fill that gap. Examining the characteristic of a colonial economy, the book discusses the process of colonizing Indian economy, with speared focus on monopolistic trade tactics, banning of Indian products in Britain, transformation of trade after industrial revolution and entry of foreign enterprises in India. It also extend an elaborate discussion on land settlement, revenue policies, commercialization of agriculture, decline of handicrafts, state of irrigation, development of transport and communication and currency. Finally, it evaluates economic impact of British rule and addresses the issue of economic drain from India.

First Published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

A unique examination of the development of the modern Indian economy over the past 150 years.

The Anthology Explodes The Myth Of India Being A Static Society And Reflects The Commitment Of To Indian History Congress To Scientific And Secular History. This Volume Comprising Thirty Four Articles Taken From Ihc Proceedings Of Last Fifty Years Is Being Put Together In The Hope That It Could Afford An Impression Of The Research Problems Which Have Engaged Economic Historians In The Past Fifty Years. The Conceptual Frame Work In Which Their Research Was Conceived, And The Methodology They Employed. It Provides An Overview Of The Continuities And Changes In The Professional Historians Approach To The Economic Aspects Of `Modern` Indian History.

The death of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1707 until the annexation of Maratha territories by the British East India Company in 1818 was a period of transition for the economy of India. This book focuses on these transitions, and shows how a study of this period of Indian history contributes to a deeper understanding of the long-run patterns of economic change in India. Momentous changes occurred in business and politics in India during the eighteenth century - the expansion of trade with Europe and the collapse of the Mughal Empire, resulting in the formation of a number of independent states. This book analyses how these two forces were interrelated, and how they went on to change livelihoods and material wellbeing in the region. Using detailed studies of markets, institutions, rural and urban livelihoods, and the standard of living, it develops a new perspective on the history of eighteenth century India, one that places business at the centre, rather than the transition to colonial rule. This book is the first systematic account of the economic history of early modern India, and an essential reference for students and scholars of Economics and South Asian History.

This new edition of An Economic History of Early Modern India extends the timespan of the analysis to incorporate further research. This allows for a more detailed discussion of the rise of the British Empire in South Asia and gives a fuller context for the historiography. In the years between the death of the emperor Aurangzeb (1707) and the Great Rebellion (1857), the Mughal Empire and the states that rose from its ashes declined in wealth and power, and a British Empire emerged in South Asia. This book asks three key questions about the transition. Why did it happen? What did it mean? How did it shape economic change? The book shows that during these years, a merchant-friendly regime among warlord-ruled states emerged and state structure transformed to allow taxes and military capacity to be held by one central power, the British East India Company. The author demonstrates that the fall of warlord-ruled states and the empowerment of the merchant, in consequence, shaped the course of Indian and world economic history. Reconstructing South Asia’s transition, starting with the Mughal Empire’s collapse and ending with the great rebellion of 1857, this book is the first systematic account of the economic history of early modern India. It is an essential reference for students and scholars of Economics and South Asian History.