An Economic History of Early Modern India

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.

Tirthankar Roy is Professor of Economic History at the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK. His previous publications include India in the World Economy from Antiquity to the Present (2012), The Economic History of India 1857-1947 (3d edition, 2011), and Rethinking Economic Change in India: Labour and Livelihood (Routledge, 2005).