The Economic History of India, 1857–2010From 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. |
Contents
18571947 | |
Agriculture | |
SmallScale Industry | |
LargeScale Industry | |
Plantations Mines Banking | |
Population | |
The Economy and the Environment | |
The Princely States | |
Indian Economy after Independence | |
Conclusion | |
Primary Sources | |
Further Readings | |
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agricultural areas average banks became began Bengal Bombay British India Calcutta Cambridge canals capital castes cent Chapter cities colonial Colonial India communities Company cotton crop cultivation decline Delhi demand early economic Economic History effect emerged employment enterprise European example export factories famines firms foreign forests groups growth History import income increased industry institutions interest investment irrigation labour land late less limited London mainly major merchants migration mills mines national income needed nineteenth century Oxford peasants period plantations political poor population port princely production protection Punjab railways raised rates regions rise rule rural scale share shows Source South started Studies supply Table textiles towns trade University Press village wages western women workers