[Incomplete]
Gems were sold on the streets of vijayanagara.
Disparity in wealth.
zamIndAri system by the British and Mogols impoverished people.
“The British exploited India? So did the Muslim regimes. Land tax was very high under the Delhi Sultanate and peasant famines as frequent as under the British.”
National wealth decline
During 1-1000 AD, India topped the world with more than 50% of the world’s GDP and China stood second. Between 1500-1700, China overtook pushing India to second position. In 1700, again India was the topper. 1750 it was China again. Then the British came. By 1800 India’s GDP share was 20%, 1830 17%, 1880 8% and in 1900 1.7%. [Economist link .]
Neither the dharma nor the industrial revolution were the major causes here.
British rule
Colonialism and loss of soverignity was immensely damaging to India.
- Rebuttals of purported “benefits” of colonialism
- shashi Tharoor summary: vid15.
- As Sankrant said: “Were colonized, but got railways is like were raped, but got sex. Japan’s rail better, without this.”
- A remarkable presentation using GapMinder by Hans Rosling reveals how life expectancy shot up faster HH, GM after getting soverignity.
Destruction of industry
- Post 1830 drop in GDP seems probably due to colonial repression of native industry and enterprise.
- British destruction of indigenous mining (Tw).
Textile.
- India dominated world cotton textile markets in 1750, and Indian calicoes had been popular in Britain since the late 17th century. Contemporary British manufacturers and politicians correctly complained that British labour was more expensive than Indian labour. (Blog1)
- The Indian states could not impose retaliatory tariffs on British goods in the early 19th century in response to British protectionism, because they were effectively ruled by Britain through the East Indian Company. (Blog1)
- After the successful decades of tariff protection and shelter from competition, British goods succeeded in global markets at the expense of India’s exports. Bengal and the textile manufacturers were ruined and the resultant de-industrialization impoverished the previously prosperous towns. (Blog1)
- Brits cut off the digits of Dacca muslin weavers and broke their looms.
Sex trafficking
- Bombay sex trade had been set up for the British army, relying on kidnapping rural girls as young as 14. [G16]
Forced contribution to British wars
- WW1 and WW2 drained a huge sum of money and lives form India. Loans were taken, but never paid back.
- Experiments on Indian soldiers
- Mustard gas WW2 (G07).