The Transition to a Colonial Economy
The Transition to a Colonial Economy
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Summary
Contrary to popular belief that poverty has been characteristic of India for centuries, the author demonstrates that, it was not until the rise of colonial rule that the decline in the economic fortunes of the labouring communities was initiated. The book represents a powerful revisionist statement on Britain in India.
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The Transition to a Colonial Economy by Prasannan Parthasarathi
According to widespread belief, poverty and low standards of living have been characteristic of India for centuries. Challenging this view, Prasannan Parthasarathi demonstrates that, until the late eighteenth century, labouring groups in South India, those at the bottom of the social order, were in a powerful position, receiving incomes well above subsistence. The decline in their economic fortunes, the author asserts, was a process initiated towards the end of that century, with the rise of colonial rule. Building on revisionist interpretations, he examines the transformation of Indian society and its economy under British rule through the prism of the labouring classes, arguing that their treatment by the early colonial state had no precedent in the pre-colonial past and that poverty and low wages were a product of colonial rule. The book promises to make an important contribution to the economic history of the region, and to the study of colonialism.
'… an excellently written well-researched narrative of weavers' response to company power in south India' The Economic History Review
'This book is a significant contribution to the literature on pre-colonial and colonial political-economic formations in India, particularly South India.' Hira Singh
'This book is a significant contribution to the literature on pre-colonial and colonial political-economic formations in India, particularly South India.' Hira Singh
Parthasarathi, Prasannan: - Prasannan Parthasarathi is Associate Professor in the Department of History at Boston College. His previous publications include The Transition to a Colonial Economy: Weavers, Merchants and Kings in South India, 1720-1800 (Cambridge University Press, 2001) and The Spinning World: A Global History of Cotton Textiles, 1200-1850 (co-edited with Giorgio Riello, 2009).
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780521033107 |
| ISBN 10 | 0521033101 |
| Title | The Transition to a Colonial Economy |
| Author | Prasannan Parthasarathi |
| Series | Cambridge Studies In Indian History And Society |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| Year published | 2007-01-25 |
| Number of pages | 180 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |