What About India? Part I: Mughals, British, and the Causes of Poverty

How did the British rule affect Indian living standards? Professor Bishnupriya Gupta brings fresh answers to one of history's most heated questions.

Following the success of last year’s ⁠What About China ⁠-trilogy, I’m delighted to introduce a two-part series on the economic history of India!

This series examines the origins of modern India by focusing on politics, poverty, and the experience of ordinary Indians from 1600 till today.

In this first episode, we cover the decline of the Mughals and the hugely controversial rule of the British East India Company and, later, the British Crown.

Indian weavers were once celebrated for their craft. This changed during the British rule. But why? And how did this shape India’s fate more broadly? Gupta has answers to all of these questions. Photo credit: Wikimedia

One thing is clear: Most Indians lived in poverty when the British left. So, how much of Indian poverty was due to British policies? How much was shaped by deeper trends? And what should we make of those infamous railways?

To tackle these questions, I’m joined by Bishnupriya Gupta, a professor of economics at the University of Warwick and one of the world’s leading historians of the Indian economy. Her new book, ⁠An Economic History of India⁠, provides a uniquely objective and data-driven exploration of India’s history, focusing on the well-being of ordinary people.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Indian vs English living standards in 1600

• The impact of British colonialism on India’s economy

• The railways

• The Great Famines of Bengal

• What both imperial apologists and Indian nationalists get wrong about the British rule.

In the end, I also ask Gupta if the education of Mahatma Gandhi might hold a clue as to why India lagged behind East Asia in the 20th Century.

You can listen to the episode now wherever you get your shows. Enjoy, and stay tuned for part 2! Here are the links again:

Listen (1h07): Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Youtube Audio | Other players

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Mentions

• On Humans episode:

  • What About China? -series with Yasheng Huang

  • Birth of Modern Prosperity -series with Daron Acemoglu, Oded Galor, Brad DeLong, and Branko Milanovic

• Books:

  • An Economic History of India by Bishnupriya Gupta

  • The Great Divergence by Kenneth Pomerantz

• Other scholars mentioned

  • Stephen Broadberry

  • Prasannan Parthasarathy

  • Nico Voigtländer

  • Hans-Joachim Voth

  • Indrajit Ray

  • Oded Galor (see episodes #12 and #13)

• Keywords: Mughal India | British colonialism | British Rad | East India Company | Indian nationalism | Indian deindustrialisation | Cotton trade | Indian railways | Primary vs higher education | Great Bengali famines

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