Agrarian India Between the World Wars by Rastislav Ulyanovsky

Agrarian India Between the World Wars by Rastislav Ulyanovsky

Published by: Progress Publishers
Edition: 1981
Pages: 294

Rastislav Ulyanovsky’s Agrarian India Between the World Wars presents a comprehensive analysis of India’s rural economy between World War I and World War II. The book examines colonial policies, the land tenure system, and agrarian movements, demonstrating how these factors contributed to increasing poverty, exploitation, and resistance.

It explores the structural changes in Indian agriculture, focusing on the shift to commercial crops, taxation burdens, and the emergence of indebtedness among farmers. The study also delves into peasant revolts, highlighting their role in the broader struggle for independence. Through statistical analysis, historical documents, and case studies, the author presents a well-researched examination of India’s agrarian crisis under British rule.

This book is essential for understanding how land policies and colonial exploitation led to economic struggles in rural India and how these struggles, in turn, became a catalyst for nationalistic movements.

• Examines the economic impact of British land revenue policies on Indian farmers.
• Explores the zamindari, ryotwari, and mahalwari systems and their role in rural exploitation.
• Discusses the rise of agrarian distress, debt cycles, and food insecurity.
• Analyzes peasant uprisings and their contribution to India’s freedom struggle.
• Investigates the effects of commercialization of agriculture on small farmers.
• Presents a detailed study based on government reports, archival records, and case studies.
• Offers insights into the intersection of agrarian policies and nationalist movements.

This book is a valuable resource for scholars, historians, and students interested in Indian economic history, colonial policies, and the struggles of rural India.