Need Help Please - India's Global GDP in the past

[BangersAndMash]

Hi,

I need info, dates & stats about India's wealth in the past. I think I read on this forum, once upon a time, India accounted for 20% - 25% of global wealth. I am not able to find any decent sources (maybe I'm not typing the correct words in google).

Please help me out, I need good links.

Thank you.

 

[thakur_ritesh]

Do a research on Angus Maddison's study on the subject. It is comprehensive research. Some reference points:

List of regions by past GDP (PPP) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&rc...utlY4NsZF9qwdu2Hg&sig2=Wspm43hqmdSOS96_rvrhKQ

 

[thakur_ritesh]

The graph makes it pretty simple and clear:

http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/GDP-History.gif

 

[BangersAndMash]

Just found a webpage. Not sure if the following link will work.

Peace studies journal. Vol 5, Issue2, May 2012.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&...ELXHhC&sig=AHIEtbT_C50lO95W4hGq22nbW9OMP3xlVw

On page 98, it says:-

"India had the world's largest economy between the first and fifteenth centuries, from 32.9 percent share of the world GDP in the first century to 24.5 percent in 1500. In 1700, India's share of the world's income was 24.4 percent, relative to Europe's 23.3 percent.

 

[uvbar]

Hans Rosling: Asia's rise -- how and when - YouTube

 

[Rage]

Angus Maddison is the singular voice of authority on the subject mainly because he has researched it more comprehensively than others.

You might find more useful information in:

• The Cambridge Economic History of India: Vol. 1, c. 1200-c. 1750. Covers the Late Medieval Period of the Vijaynagara Empire, the Sultanates and the Kingdom of Ahom. And the Mughal Empire in its incline and at its zenith.
• The Cambridge Economic History of India: Vol. 2, c.1751-c.1970. Covers the Mughal period in its decline, the Maratha Confederacy, the British Raj and Fabian Socialist Independent India.
• India in the World Economy from Antiquity to the Present. by Tirthankara Roy.

 

[Yusuf]

India's rapid decline and Britains rapid rise post battle of Plassey.

 

[civfanatic]

The graph makes it pretty simple and clear:

http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/GDP-History.gif

The graph is useful for obtaining a general picture of how prosperous Asia was in the past compared to the rest of the world, but the figures from 2,000 years ago are largely speculative. There are, of course, no actual records of the Indian GDP from that time.

If you want more "hard" statistics, you can look at the Mughal imperial records, which actually kept track of the total income the empire produced. The annual income of Mughal India during Akbar's reign around 1600 was reported at 99 million silver rupees; this was larger than the income of all European states put together, as well as larger than the entire treasury of the British Empire in 1800.

 

[blank_quest]

http://www.mckinsey.com/assets/dotc...an_economic_center_of_gravity_is_shifting.zip

 

[Rage]

The graph is useful for obtaining a general picture of how prosperous Asia was in the past compared to the rest of the world, but the figures from 2,000 years ago are largely speculative. There are, of course, no actual records of the Indian GDP from that time.

If you want more "hard" statistics, you can look at the Mughal imperial records, which actually kept track of the total income the empire produced. The annual income of Mughal India during Akbar's reign around 1600 was reported at 99 million silver rupees; this was larger than the income of all European states put together, as well as larger than the entire treasury of the British Empire in 1800.

That's excellent information. Can you provide a source for that please. As well as any other Mughal economic annals you may find.

 

[civfanatic]

That's excellent information. Can you provide a source for that please. As well as any other Mughal economic annals you may find.

This is a good source to begin with:
http://books.google.com/books?id=J8...gXiu4CIDw&ved=0CEcQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

[Rage]

This is a good source to begin with:
Akbar - Swami Satyananda Giri - Google Books

Excellent. I'll try and get it when I'm next at the Sassoon.

From the cover, doesn't seem like it'd be much of an economic source though. But you know what they say about a book and judging it...

 

[civfanatic]

Excellent. I'll try and get it when I'm next at the Sassoon.

From the cover, doesn't seem like it'd be much of an economic source though. But you know what they say about a book and judging it...

It's a book on the reign of Akbar, but it contains plenty of information on economic and social aspects of India during this time.

If you want primary sources, you could look at the Ain-e-Akbari, which details the administration of the empire.

 

[BangersAndMash]

Thanks to all for your replies.

DFI = awesomeness