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The Permanent Settlement and the emergence of a British state in late-eighteenth-century India

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  • Roy, Tirthankar

Abstract

The Permanent Settlement (1793) was the first major institutional reform introduced by the East India Company state in late-eighteenth century India. Most studies exploring its origin suggest that the idea was a transplant from England or Europe. That hypothesis begs a question. The case for reform had been made in the 1770s. Why did the policy take so long to materialize if it was no more than a passive copy? It did, the paper claims, because an alternative model of state-making exercised appeal, which prioritized information gathering to serve the fiscal state.

Suggested Citation

  • Roy, Tirthankar, 2023. "The Permanent Settlement and the emergence of a British state in late-eighteenth-century India," Economic History Working Papers 119477, London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:wpaper:119477
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/119477/
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. H. R. C. Wright, 1954. "Some Aspects Of The Permanent Settlement In Bengal," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 7(2), pages 204-215, December.
    2. Roy, Tirthankar, 2010. "Economic Conditions in Early Modern Bengal: A Contribution to the Divergence Debate," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 70(1), pages 179-194, March.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    property rights; colonialism; Permanent Settlement; zamindar; India;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N15 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Asia including Middle East
    • N45 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Asia including Middle East
    • N55 - Economic History - - Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment and Extractive Industries - - - Asia including Middle East

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