ECON 240
Colonialism and Underdevelopment in South Asia
Last Offered Fall 2012
Division II Writing Skills Exploring Diversity Initiative
This course is not offered in the current catalog

British colonial rule in South Asia shaped economy and society in fundamental ways. As resistance to colonial rule emerged in the late nineteenth century, “nationalist” writers developed a critique of its economic impact via taxation, fiscal policy, trade, and many other policies. In their turn, supporters of British rule, “apologists,” argued that British rule had laid the foundations of economic growth by securing property rights, enforcing contracts, and developing infrastructure. The debate between “nationalists” and “apologists” has never quite ended, but after the recent growth of the Indian economy it has lost some of its emotional charge. We will use this opportunity to not only examine the economic questions, but also how power and its contestations have shaped the answers provided. Therefore, the course part of the college’s Exploring Diversity Initiative.