What was the contribution of the Britishers in the development or otherwise on the Indian business? Explain.
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Answer:
The Indian economy under the British Raj describes the economy of India during the years of the British Raj, from 1858 to 1947. According to historical GDP estimates by economist Angus Maddison, India's GDP during the British Raj grew in absolute terms but declined in relative share to the world.[1]
From 1850 to 1947 India's GDP in 1990 international dollars grew from $125.7 billion to $213.7 billion, a 70% increase or an average annual growth rate of 0.55%. This was a higher rate of growth than during the Mughal era from 1600 to 1700 where it had grown by 22%, an annual growth rate of 0.20%. Or the longer period of mostly British East Indian company rule from 1700 to 1850 where it grown 39% or 0.22% annually.[1] However since the industrial revolution the global economy had been growing at a significantly faster rate, with most growth occurring in Western countries in what's known as the Great Divergence. By the end of British rule India's economy represented a smaller proportion of global GDP. In 1820 India's GDP was 16% of the world total, by 1870 it had fallen to 12% and by 1947 had fallen further to 4%. India's per-capita income remained mostly stagnant during the Raj, with most of its GDP growth coming from an expanding population. From 1850 to 1947 India's GDP per capita had grown only slightly by 16%, from $533 to $618 in 1990 international dollars.[2]
The role and scale of British imperial policy on India's relative decline in global GDP remains a topic of debate among economists, historians and politicians. With many commentators arguing the effect of British rule was highly negative. That Britain engaged in a policy of de-industrialisation of India for the benefit of British exports, leaving Indians poorer than before British rule began.[3] And others arguing Britain's impact on India was either broadly neutral or positive and that India's declining share of global GDP was due to other factors such as new mass production technologies being invented in Britain and Europe.[4]