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Consumption of cotton cloth in India, 1795-1940

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  • Roy, Tirthankar

Abstract

Using data on the production and usage of cotton, the paper develops estimates for the production and consumption of cotton cloth in India during 1795-1940, and based on these numbers, revisits three issues central to interpretations of economic change in colonial India. These are: (a) trends in levels of living, (b) the correlation between production of textiles and consumption of textiles, and (c) consumption of clothing in India in relation to the rest of the world.

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  • Roy, Tirthankar, 2011. "Consumption of cotton cloth in India, 1795-1940," CEPR Discussion Papers 8669, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:8669
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    1. Broadberry, Stephen & Custodis, Johann & Gupta, Bishnupriya, 2015. "India and the great divergence: An Anglo-Indian comparison of GDP per capita, 1600–1871," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 58-75.
    2. Loren Brandt & Debin Ma & Thomas G. Rawski, 2014. "From Divergence to Convergence: Reevaluating the History behind China's Economic Boom," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 52(1), pages 45-123, March.
    3. Roy, Tirthankar, 2021. "Why geography matters to the economic history of India," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 120698, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Standard of living; Consumption; Textiles; India;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N35 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Asia including Middle East
    • N95 - Economic History - - Regional and Urban History - - - Asia including Middle East

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