One great example of the British rule

According to official figures, 28,825,000 Indians starved to death between 1854 and 1901. The authority's carelessness and lack of foresight accentuated the misery caused by famines.

The scene of Kattabomman arguing with Jackson comes to my mind when I read the following. It had never stuck me when I watched that movie.

Before British rule, there was no private property in land. The self-governing village community handed over each year to the ruler or his nominee a share of the years produce. East India Company put a stop to this and introduced a new revenue system superseding the right of the village community over land and creating two new forms of property on land - landlordism and individual peasant proprietorship. It was assumed that the State was the supreme landlord. Fixed tax payments were introduced based on land whereby payment had to be made to the government whether or not crop had been successful. As one British put it we have introduced new methods of assessing and cultivating land revenue which have converted a once flourishing population into a huge horde of paupers. Indeed the first effect was the reduction in agricultural incomes by 50% thereby undermining the agrarian economy and self-governing village. 

It was never hard for me to believe that British are the reason for India’s poverty nor do I change my opinion. They caused a demise of our industries and thus our people. I am reminded of a tamil saying ‘Kurangu kaila kidacha poomalai madhiri’.