Review: Inglorious Empire by Shashi Tharoor

[dexter]

At the start of the 18th century, Indian sub-continent’s share of the global economy accounted for about 23 percent. Two centuries later, when the British left Indian sub-continent, its share dropped to around 3 percent. It was a dramatic transition, and what exactly transpired within that colonial era sits at the heart of Inglorious Empire: What the British Did to Indian sub-continent by Shashi Tharoor.

 

[Darwin]

This 23 % figure is stupid. Tharoor propagates this too much. Shame the brits, I am all for it, make them pay but keep your figures verifiable.

 

[Gangetic]

23 percent

I keep hearing about this and am highly sceptical. Is there a good source for this statistic?

 

[Indus Pakistan]

At the start of the 18th century, India’s share of the global economy accounted for about 23 percent

Right. For a start what India is the fcuker on about at the start of 18th century? Furthermore South Asian's did not know where their a*ss was and neither did they know if there was 200 million, 600 million, 800 million of them. Even today with modern systems and statistics in Pakistan much of the economy is undocumented. But this cnut knows exactly the size of a economy in region that was a continent 200 years ago.

Fact: If a country has huge economy it is almosty impossible to conquerer that country. Impossible. And it took exactly the same number of Angrez to conquer this continent as the number of fingers I have. But all that does not count. It's all part of feeding on the guilt of past empire and then making 'India' look great. Meaning it was great then. And it is great [will] now.

This is ulimate "we wuz great but then came the ........ "

 

[Kamikaze Pilot]

Right. For a start what India is the fcuker on about at the start of 18th century? Furthermore South Asian's did not know where their a*ss was and neither did they know if there was 200 million, 600 million, 800 million of them. Even today with modern systems and statistics in Pakistan much of the economy is undocumented. But this cnut knows exactly the size of a economy in region that was a continent 200 years ago.

Fact: If a country has huge economy it is almosty impossible to conquerer that country. Impossible. And it took exactly the same number of Angrez to conquer this continent as the number of fingers I have. But all that does not count. It's all part of feeding on the guilt of past empire and then making 'India' look great. Meaning it was great then. And it is great [will] now.

This is ulimate "we wuz great but then came the ........ "

But why do you get riled? Is he badmouthing Pakistan?

 

[lemurian]

I keep hearing about this and am highly sceptical. Is there a good source for this statistic?

Angus Maddison (probably).

https://www.stat.berkeley.edu/~aldous/157/Papers/world_economy.pdf

 

[Indus Pakistan]

But why do you get riled? Is he badmouthing Pakistan?

I did not get riled. I just stated bluntly what I think. And this guy is a certified Pakistan hater. It's shits like him who think his Dalit infested India was some glorious civilization from year 10,000BC by using Ancient Pakistani history and then in the same breath scoff at Pakistan as a terrorist, artificial entity and product of British.

Or else India would have been from Khyber Pass to Bangla with Hindu Raj overlooking that the last two empires that dominated South Asia were Christian [British] and Muslim [Moghul] and Dalits went around crawling on the floor or being starved out in millions.

 

[Crixus]

Loyalty towards queen ....... there were some south Asians who even chased their masters and moved to their countries even sworned to kiss the queen's A$$ in order to get passport and their offsprings are following the same ..... once a slave always a slave ... dont you see the aggression they are serving the mighty queen

They are even more loyal then caravan hounds

But why do you get riled? Is he badmouthing Pakistan?

 

[Indus Pakistan]

Angus Maddison

Hey boss, can you give me a map of a country called India in 10 AD? I mean to aggregate it's statistics you got to have borders, counting, census, documentation etc/

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

This 23 % figure is stupid. Tharoor propagates this too much. Shame the brits, I am all for it, make them pay but keep your figures verifiable.

Furthermore, whatever the share of South Asia in the global economy at that point in time, the reduction over the next century has to also take into account global trends in economic diversification. Did the rest of the world, specifically the West, take greater advantage of advances in industrialization and tap into more advanced local scientific research?

There is no guarantee that South Asia would have:
1. Become and/or remained unified and not gotten embroiled in internecine ethno-religious conflict
2. Kept pace with the rest of the world, especially the West and East Asia, in social & economic development.

 

[lemurian]

Hey boss, can you give me a map of a country called India in 10 AD? I mean to aggregate it's statistics you got to have borders, counting, census, documentation etc/

I am not familiar with the methodology used by Maddison. I have merely pointed out the source. Feel free to investigate the matter yourself, Boss.

 

[Darwin]

I have seen the above chart but what were our main economic drivers ? Only things I know are spices and handmade textiles.How was gdp calculated?
Meanwhile industrial revolution had started in 1760 in Europe.

And why does he give the brits a bye from paying for their sins ? Jallianwallah took place in 1917 I think , but the great bengal famine was in 1943 in which 3 m perished due to gross apathy.
Brit POWs of ww2 were asking and receiving reparations from the japs till late 20 th century. The Koreans are still getting from the japs. Why give the brits a free pass ? I say sue the b..... ds. They are a nation of shopkeepers and hit them in their pockets.

 

[Juggernaut_Flat_Plane_V8]

Hey boss, can you give me a map of a country called India in 10 AD? I mean to aggregate it's statistics you got to have borders, counting, census, documentation etc/

Sir, Hold my beer please....

Coloured Kingdoms are empires/super-strong kingdoms

uncoloured background coloured kingdoms are weak and irrelevant

ISK ---Indo-Scythian Kingdoms
Indo-Greek Kingdom/s are already expired by this time eventhough the name of one of their rulers is still visible on the sidebar

The Thar desert was mostly uninhabited till the rise of Gurjara Pratiharas in the late 7th cemntury--early 8th century

 

[dexter]

I keep hearing about this and am highly sceptical. Is there a good source for this statistic?

Well i am not sure either, it may be a madeup statistic but under Mughal rule in 16th century to early 17th century the economy was almost 23% for sure or maybe higher but after fall of Mughals and their disintegration into several rajas and emirs the economy did collapse, specailly after the famous sacking of Delhi by Nadir Shah, rise of Maratha and Sikh empire and British occupation of one of the richest state Bengal.

 

[Nilgiri]

I hate victim complex and Mr. Tharoor is full of it.

Dwell on the past or get busy on the future....they are mutually exclusive...I know what I want (the latter)....and wish more ppl pick the same too.