ABSTRACT
British rule in India formally lasted between 1858 and 1947. How large, of what nature and how lasting was the impact? These questions have long guided the study of the economic history of India. The imperialist, or “orientalist,” belief was that the empire heralded modernity in India. For example, Karl Marx shared that belief with many of his contemporaries, although he also observed that modernity came with a cost. In contrast, twentieth-century writers on imperialism and development believed in an enduring link between colonialism and underdevelopment.
