Indian Economy In The Nineteenth Century

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

This study presents a valuable account of social and economic conditions in India in the ninteenth century. Drawing upon the material gathered from the reports preserved in the desoatches of the American Consuls in Calcutta and Bombay, the author has evaluated sources for the history of Modern India which had not been tapped before. He has examined the material critically and built up his thesis on firm grounds, carefully delineating the conditions under which the American consuls wrote their reports.

The history of Indian economic thought provides rich insights into both economic issues and the workings of the Indian mind. A History of Indian Economic Thought provides the first overview of economic thought in the sub-continent. Arguing that it would be inappropriate to rely on formal economic analyses it draws on a wide range of sources; epics, religious and moral texts for the early period and public speeches, addresses, and newspaper articles for controversies from the nineteenth century onwards. What emerges is a rich mosaic reflecting India's different cultures and civilizations. Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam all address economic issues and British colonial rule had a deep impact, both in propagating Western economic ideas and in provoking Indian theories of colonialism and underdevelopment. The author concludes with chapters on Ghandian economics and on Indian economic thought since Independence.