India Before and Since the Crisis

"India Before and Since the Crisis, Vol. I" by Brij Narain is a critical examination of India's economic and political landscape surrounding the global economic crisis of the 1930s. The book analyzes the impact of colonial policies on India’s economy, agriculture, and industries before the crisis and assesses the shifts that occurred in response. Narain provides in-depth insights into British economic control, Indian fiscal struggles, and the growing demand for self-governance, offering a scholarly yet passionate critique of imperial rule. India Before and Since the Crisis, Vol. II by Brij Narain (1888–1947), published in 1939, continues his detailed economic analysis of India in the aftermath of the Great Depression. As a follow-up to Volume I, this work examines Indian conditions from 1918 to 1939, using extensive official statistics. Narain explores agriculture, rural credit, infrastructure, and colonial fiscal practices, highlighting systemic inequalities. He argues that British-led reforms were largely superficial and failed to address the deep-rooted economic dependencies of colonial rule.