Chicago – March 05, 2025
For centuries, many believed that India’s economic struggles were due to its religious traditions. However, as the 21st century approached, new research revealed a different story. Reports from around the world showed that India and China were once the richest countries on Earth. Historians found that colonization, not culture, led to their downfall.
To uncover the truth, economists from OECD countries launched a major study. A team led by Professor Angus Maddison examined global GDP records over time. When the report was released, the world was shocked. India once held 34% of the world’s wealth, making it the richest country for nearly a thousand years—all without invading or exploiting others. However, colonizers drained its resources, causing its economic collapse.
Before British rule, India still led the world economy, with a 24.5% share of global GDP. But over time, British exploitation took its toll. By 1800, India’s share fell to 20%, then 17% by 1830, and only 8% by 1880. By 1900, India held just 1.7% of global wealth. The British had plundered the country, and its once-great civilization crumbled.
For thousands of years, India thrived as an industrial society. But within a century of British rule, it was reduced to an agricultural economy, suffering from extreme poverty. During British rule, 31 major famines struck the land, killing millions. In one tragic instance, a British official reported that drought had left only grass in the fields, making tax collection impossible. The Viceroy responded coldly, instructing them to sell the grass for money.
Despite mass starvation, British authorities continued exporting India’s food to supply their empire. People who once considered food sacred were left to starve. Farmers, unable to pay heavy taxes, sold off their family gold. Even today, much of that gold remains in London, while Indian farmers still struggle.
The suffering extended beyond food. India’s people, mostly vegetarian, relied on salt to survive in extreme heat. The British imposed high taxes on salt, making it too expensive for many. Without salt, malnutrition increased, and even unborn children suffered.
Between 1765 and 1938, Britain drained trillions of dollars from India, leaving a once-prosperous nation in poverty. What was once the world’s richest country became a land of famine and struggle. Today, India continues to rebuild from the deep scars of colonization.
