An Economic History of India: Growth, Income and Inequalities from the Mughals to the 21st Century
An Economic History of India: Growth, Income and Inequalities from the Mughals to the 21st Century
Wednesday 12 Feb 2025Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the long-run evolution of the Indian economy.
In a new book published by Cambridge University Press, Bishnupriya Gupta offers a major new economic history of India from the reign of Akbar in the sixteenth century to India’s post-independence integration into the global economy.
Using concepts and theories from economics and economic history alongside extensive new data, Professor Gupta builds a new framework for understanding the economic impacts and legacies of British rule. She charts India’s transition from precolonial economy to colonial rule and evaluates its economic performance from a comparative perspective, particularly in the context of the Great Divergence between Europe and Asia.
An Economic History of India examines India’s post-independence economy and the evolution of social and economic inequality through to the turn of the twenty-first century. By taking a long view, the book sheds new light on the persistent effects of historical institutions as well as the impacts of policy-driven changes.
"The book is a masterly study of colonial India. Drawing on multiple data sources and casting aside prior biases so visible in works on colonialism, Bishnupriya Gupta gives a sweeping account of India’s economic journey, shedding light on the slowdowns and pickups over centuries. Whether your interest be in history or understanding contemporary India, this is a book well worth reading."
Kaushik Bashu, Professor of Economics and Carl Marks Professor of International Studies, Cornell University
Book launch
Please click hereLink opens in a new window to learn more about the forthcoming book launch on 4th June 2025.
About the Author
Bishnupriya Gupta is Professor of Economics at University of Warwick and CAGE Research Director. She has published widely on industrial development in colonial India, gender norms in India and is a key contributor to the debate on the Great Divergence.
- An Economic History of India: Growth, Income and Inequalities from the Mughals to the 21st Century can be purchased from Cambridge University Press
- Listen to CAGE Research Director, Bishnupriya Gupta discuss her work on colonialism and the economic history of India for the On Humans podcast What about India? Moghuls, British and the Causes of Poverty