The Economic History of India Under Early British Rule

Romesh Chunder Dutt (1848-1909) was a distinguished Indian civil servant, economic historian, and writer who served in the Indian Civil Service for over twenty-five years. This work, first published in 1901 and revised in 1906, represents a groundbreaking economic analysis of British rule in India during its formative period.

Dutt systematically examines how British policies affected Indian trade, industries, agriculture, and land revenues. He documents the decline of Indian manufacturing under colonial trade policies, the impact of heavy land taxation on peasant cultivators, and the continuous economic drain from India to Britain. His analysis draws extensively on official records, parliamentary reports, and firsthand accounts to present a comprehensive picture of India’s economic transformation under British rule.

This volume covers the period from the Battle of Plassey in 1757 to the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837, tracing the evolution of British administrative and revenue policies across Bengal, Madras, Bombay, and Northern India.