The Historical Origins of Indian Poverty

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from Angus Maddison’s analysis in The Historical Origins of Indian Poverty (1970).

Q: What was the Moghul Empire?

A: The Muslim imperial state that dominated much of India, especially the north, from the 16th to 18th centuries; notable rulers included Akbar and Aurangzeb; revenue largely based on land taxes and a rigid administrative structure.

Q: Who was Babur?

A: Babur was the founder of the Mughal Empire in 1526, a descendant of Genghis Khan and Timur, who began Mughal rule in India.

Q: Who was Akbar?

A: Akbar was a Mughal emperor (1556–1605) known for religious tolerance, administrative innovation, and expansion of the empire.

Q: Who was Aurangzeb?

A: Aurangzeb was a Mughal emperor (1658–1707) who expanded the empire but reimposed certain Muslim strictures and wars, contributing to the empire’s decline.

Q: What was the Delhi Sultanate?

A: The Delhi Sultanate was an earlier Muslim regime in northern India (1192–1526) that preceded the Mughal Empire.

Q: What was Vijayanagar?

A: Vijayanagar was a powerful Hindu kingdom in South India that resisted northern dominance before Mughal consolidation.

Q: What is the Caste system?

A: The Caste system is a rigid hereditary social hierarchy in India, with defined ranks and roles, restricting mobility and intermarriage.

Q: What is the Joint family system?

A: The Joint family system is a family structure in which multiple generations share income and resources, reducing individual incentives to work or save.

Q: What was Land tax (land revenue)?

A: Land tax (land revenue) was a major tax levied on agricultural produce or its value, used as the principal revenue source by rulers.

Q: Who were the Zamindars?

A: Zamindars were local Hindu/Muslim landowners who collected rent from peasants and paid a portion to the central state; they wielded substantial local power.

Q: Who were the Jagirdars?

A: Jagirdars were Mughal officials who were granted jagirs (land grants) whose revenue supported troops and administration.

Q: What was a Jagir?

A: A Jagir was a land grant given to officials (jagirdars) in return for service, with revenue rights over villages.

Q: What was the Ryotwari system?

A: The Ryotwari system was a tax collection method directly from individual peasants by the state, prominent in parts of British India.

Q: What was the Mahalwari system?

A: The Mahalwari system was a revenue assessment based on village communities; responsibility was shared among villagers in certain regions.

Q: What was the Permanent Settlement (1793)?

A: The Permanent Settlement (1793) was a Bengal land revenue arrangement granting zamindars permanent rights to collect rent, fixing state revenue and shaping property rights.

Q: What was the 'Drain of wealth'?

A: The 'Drain of wealth' was the outflow of resources from India to Britain through home charges, pensions, remittances, and monopolistic profits.

Q: What were Home Charges?

A: Home Charges were official payments from the Indian government to Britain (debt service, pensions, India Office costs) during colonial rule.

Q: What was the East India Company (EIC)?

A: The East India Company (EIC) was a British trading company that controlled large parts of India, later evolving into colonial administration before Crown rule.

Q: What was Haileybury?

A: Haileybury was an institution (Haileybury College) established to train the Indian Civil Service, later central to British administration in India.

Q: What was the Indian Civil Service (ICS)?

A: The Indian Civil Service (ICS) was an elite British-led administrative service in India; it featured high salaries and limited Indian recruitment for much of the period.

Q: What was the Mutiny of 1857?

A: The Mutiny of 1857 was a widespread uprising by Indian soldiers (sepoys) against the East India Company, leading to the dissolution of the EIC and Crown rule.

Q: What role did Railways play during British rule?

A: Railways were a network constructed by the British; they expanded transport, aided famine mitigation, and facilitated economic integration.

Q: What was Macaulay’s Minute on Education?

A: Macaulay’s Minute on Education was an 1835 policy favoring English-language education in India, creating a class of interpreters between British rulers and Indians.

Q: What was the state of Illiteracy in India (1947)?

A: Around 88% of Indians were illiterate at independence, reflecting limited mass education under colonial rule.