Economic History of India: 1857-1947

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