The Economic History of India, 1857-1947/Tirthankar Roy. Delhi, Oxford University Press, 2000, 318 p., ISBN 019565154-5.

Contents: 1. Introduction: i. India, 1857-1947. ii. Economic history. iii. Economic history and India. Conclusion. Annotated readings. 2. The background: 1757-1857: i. Conditions about. ii. Foreign trade. iii. Agrarian change. iv. Industry and finance. v. Infrastructure. Conclusion. Annotated readings. 3. Agriculture and common property resources: i. Production, investment and technology. ii. Expansion in markets. iii.Effects of market expansion. iv.Explaining growth and stagnation. v. Common property resources. vi. Summary and conclusion. Annotated readings. 4. Small-scale industry: i. Types of industry defined. ii. Long-term pattern of Indian industrialization. iii. Perspectives on small-scale industry: De- industrialization. iv. Perspectives on small-scale industry: the commercialization thesis. v. Examples of traditional industries in transition. vi. Labour in traditional small-scale industry. vii. Capital in traditional small-scale industry. viii. Modern small-scale industry. Conclusion. Annotated readings. 5. Large-scale industry: i. Statistical profile. ii. Stages of industrialization. iii. Major industries. iv. Labour. v. Finance for industry. vi. Entrepreneurship. vii. Management. viii. Large-scale industry in the princely states. ix. The significance of large-scale industry. Annotated readings. 6. Plantations, Mines, and banking: i. Tea plantations. ii. Coal mining. iii. Banking. Conclusion. Annotated readings. 7. The macroeconomy: i. An overview: economic structure, growth, and fluctuations. ii. Statistical outline. iii. Money supply and balance of payments. iv. Fluctuations in prices and outputs. v. Speculating the causes of stagnation. Conclusion. Annotated reading. 8. The role of the Government: i. Policies and policy-making. ii. Trade policy. iii. Public finance. iv. Infrastructure and institutions. Conclusion. Annotated reading. 9. Population and labour force: i. Population size and growth. ii. Labour force and occupational structure. Conclusion. Annotated readings. 10. Conclusion. Summary. Research topics. Appendices. Index.

"This work is one of the few detailed and updated textbooks on the economic history of colonial India. It approaches the subject along the same lines as the Cambridge Economic History of India, but is a much more condensed and compact version aimed at students.

"The volume captures new research on old themes as well as the emergence of new themes such as common property, small-scale industry, and the environment. From the myriad facets of economic history, topics relevant to the undergraduate student have been carefully chosen. These include specific aspects of the Indian economy such as:

• Population
• Occupational structure
• Agrarian relations
• Industry
• Plantations and mines
• Banking
• Macroeconomy.

"These topics are examined against the colonial backdrop. A coherent narrative brings together these diverse elements to present a comprehensive picture of the colonial economy in full colour.

"The author shows how history explains the roots of economic growth and stagnation in South Asia. New research included here enhances the level and complexity of the debates on the role of the past in shaping the future.

"A distinctive feature of the book is the comprehensive annotated bibliography highlighting essential and optional references at the end of each chapter.

"An invaluable resource for undergraduate students, the book will also prove to be a handy reference for teachers and researchers in economics and history." (jacket)

[Tirthankar Roy is Associate Professor at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai.]

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