The Economic History Of India 1857 1947

Much has been written on the Indian economy but this is the first major attempt to present India's economic history as a continuous process, and to place the development of agriculture, industry and currency in a political and historical context.

This Is One Of The Few Detailed And Updated Textbooks On The Economic History Of Colonial India.

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

This book provides an understanding of the political and economic transition of India's economy to a stable and democratic state. Capturing a crucial span of 90 years, it presents a comprehensive account of structural changes in the economy initiated by colonial rule and globalization.

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.

From the end of the eighteenth century, two distinct global processes began to transform livelihoods and living conditions in the South Asia region. These were the rise of British colonial rule and globalization, that is, the integration of the region in the emerging world markets for goods, capital, and labour services. Two hundred years later, India was the home to many of the world's poorest people as well as one of the fastest growing market economies in the world. Does a study of the past help to explain the paradox of growth amidst poverty? The Economic History of India: 1857–2010 claims that the roots of this paradox go back to India's colonial past, when internal factors like geography and external forces like globalization and imperial rule created prosperity in some areas and poverty in others. Looking at the recent scholarship in this area, this revised edition covers new subjects like environment and princely states. The author sets out the key questions that a study of long-run economic change in India should begin with and shows how historians have answered these questions and where the gaps remain.

The British came to India as merchants in the middle of the 17th century. After gaining foothold on the coastline, they spread to every corner of the Indian peninsula. They gained political supremacy around the middle of the 18th century. After winning the Battle of Plassey in 1757 and the Battle of Buxer in 1764, they established themselves firmly as the rulers of India and ruled it till 1947 to sub-serve their economic interests. The British rule in India can be divided into two periods: (a) the rule of the East India Company from 1757 to 1858 and (b) the rule of the British Government from 1858 to 1947. The British interests in India were governed by the requirements of the Industrial Revolution which started in Britain in the middle of the 18th century and then spread to other regions of Europe. These were two-fold: (a) to secure raw materials from India for factories in Britain and (b) to ensure permanent market in India for the British manufactures. To fulfil these objectives, they adopted measures which proved disastrous for the Indian economy.This book gives a comprehensive and vivid account of various aspects of the Indian economy during the period 1857 to 1947. It is s