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Roy, Tirthankar

Professor Tirthankar Roy

Department

Position held

Department of Economic History

Professor

Experience keywords:

artisans and industrialization; economic history of South Asia; global history; historical methods; music history; textiles

Research summary > [Click to expand]

I started research on Indian history by taking a fresh look at the contribution of the artisan and traditional forms of useful knowledge in the making of the modern Indian economy. The work challenged orthodoxy in the field that suggested a death of the artisan tradition in the nineteenth century. My writings on the sources of economic change in modern India suggest a more varied outcome of colonialism and globalization on the economy of the region than usually considered. A textbook in economic history was one of the outcomes of the revisionist project. My recent and ongoing work tries to connect India with ongoing debates in global history. Towards this project, I study standards of living, law, guild, states, and science and technology in a comparative frame.

Countries and regions to which research relates:

South Asia

Languages:

Bengali [Spoken: Fluent, Written: N/A]; Hindi [Spoken: Intermediate, Written: N/A]

Media experience:

Has written for mainstream press; TV

Contact Points

LSE phone number:

+44 (0)20 7955 6248

LSE email:

t.roy@lse.ac.uk

Publications

2016

Roy, Tirthankar (2016) The mutiny and the merchants Historical Journal, 59 (02). 393-416. ISSN 0018-246X

Roy, Tirthankar (2016) The monsoon and the market for money in late-colonial India Enterprise & Society, 17 (02). 324-357. ISSN 1467-2227

2014

Roy, Tirthankar (2014) The ‘Marwari’ business community is now a part of history South Asia @ LSE blog (8 Sep 2014) Blog entry

Roy, Tirthankar (2014) Trading firms in colonial India Business History Review, 88 (01). 9-42. ISSN 0007-6805

2013

Roy, Tirthankar (2013) Labour-intensity and industrialization in colonial India In: Austin, Gareth and Sugihara, Kaoru, (eds.) Labour-Intensive Industrialization in Global History. Routledge explorations in economic history. Routledge, Abingdon, UK. ISBN 9780415455527

Roy, Tirthankar (2013) Rethinking the origins of British India: state formation and military-fiscal undertakings in an eighteenth century world region Modern Asian Studies, 47 (4). 1125-1156. ISSN 0026-749X

Roy, Tirthankar (2013) An economic history of early modern India Routledge, Abingdon, UK. ISBN 9780415690638

2012

Roy, Tirthankar (2012) India and the world economy: 1757-1947 In: Ghate, Chetan, (ed.) The Oxford Handbook of the Indian Economy. Oxford handbooks in economics. Oxford University Press, New York, USA, 33-55. ISBN 9780199734580

Roy, Tirthankar (2012) Empire, law and economic growth Economic and Political Weekly, 47 (8). 97-104. ISSN 0012-9976

Roy, Tirthankar (2012) Consumption of cotton cloth in India, 1795-1940 Australian Economic History Review, 52 (1). 61-84. ISSN 0004-8992

Roy, Tirthankar (2012) Beyond divergence: rethinking the economic history of India Economic History of Developing Regions, 27 (sup1). S57-S65. ISSN 2078-0389

Roy, Tirthankar (2012) Natural disasters and Indian history Oxford India short introductions series. Oxford University Press India, New Delhi, India. ISBN 9780198075370

Roy, Tirthankar (2012) The East India Company: the world’s most powerful corporation The story of Indian business. Allen Lane, Penguin Books India, New Delhi, India. ISBN 9780670085071

Roy, Tirthankar (2012) India in the world economy: from antiquity to the present New approaches to Asian history, 10. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. ISBN 9781107401471

2011

Roy, Tirthankar (2011) The economic history of India 1857-1947 3rd, Oxford University Press India, Delhi, India. ISBN 9780198074175

Roy, Tirthankar (2011) Law and economic change in India, 1600-1900 In: Ma, Debin and van Zanden, Jan Luiten, (eds.) Law and Long-Term Economic Change: an Eurasian Perspective. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California, 115-137. ISBN 9780804772730

Roy, Tirthankar (2011) Where is Bengal?: situating an Indian region in the early modern world economy Past and Present, 213 (1). 115-146. ISSN 0031-2746

Roy, Tirthankar (2011) Indigo and law in colonial India Economic History Review, 64 (S1). 60-75. ISSN 0013-0117

2010

Roy, Tirthankar (2010) Consumption and craftsmanship in India, 1870-1940 In: Haynes, Douglas and McGowan, Abigail and Roy, Tirthankar and Yanagisawa, Haruka, (eds.) Towards a History of Consumption in South Asia. Oxford University Press, Delhi, India. ISBN 9780198063643

Roy, Tirthankar (2010) The Great Depression and the economy of interwar India In: Limoncic, Flávio and Palomanes Martinho, Francisco Carlos, (eds.) A Grande Depressão: Política e economia Na Década De 1930: europa, América, África e Ásia. Civilização Brasileira, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ISBN 9788520009420

Roy, Tirthankar (2010) The long globalization and textile producers in India In: Heerma van Voss, Lex and Hiemstra-Kuperus, Els and Nederveen Meerkerk, Elise van, (eds.) The Ashgate Companion to the History of Textile Workers, 1650-2000. Ashgate companions. Ashgate, Farnham, UK, 253-274. ISBN 9780754664284

Roy, Tirthankar (2010) Company of kinsmen: enterprise and community in South Asian history 1700-1940 Oxford University Press, New Delhi, India. ISBN 9780198063780

Roy, Tirthankar (2010) Technological change in Indian textiles industry, 1991-2006 International Journal of Technology and Globalisation, 5 (1/2). ISSN 1476-5667

Roy, Tirthankar (2010) Economic conditions in early modern Bengal: a contribution to the divergence debate The Journal of Economic History, 70 (1). 179-194. ISSN 0022-0507

Haynes, Douglas and McGowan, Abigail and Roy, Tirthankar and Yanagisawa, Haruka, eds (2010) Towards a history of consumption in South Asia Oxford University Press India, New Delhi, India. ISBN 9780198063643

Roy, Tirthankar (2010) Consumption and craftsmanship in colonial India 1850-1950 In: Haynes, Douglas and McGowan, Abigail and Roy, Tirthankar and Yanagisawa, Haruka, (eds.) Towards a History of Consumption in South Asia. Oxford University Press India, New Delhi, India. ISBN 9780198063643

Roy, Tirthankar (2010) Rethinking the origins of British India: state formation and military-fiscal undertakings in an eighteenth century world region Economic History Working Papers, 142/10. Department of Economic History, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.

Roy, Tirthankar (2010) ‘The law of storms': European and indigenous responses to natural disasters in colonial India, c. 1800–1850 Australian Economic History Review, 50 (1). 6-22. ISSN 0004-8992

2009

Riello, Giorgio and Roy, Tirthankar (2009) Introduction: the world of South Asian textiles, 1500-1850 In: Riello, Giorgio and Roy, Tirthankar, (eds.) How India Clothed the World: the World of South Asian Textiles, 1500-1850. Global economic history series (4). Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands, 1-27. ISBN 9789004176539

Riello, Giorgio and Roy, Tirthankar (2009) Introduction: how India clothed the world: the world of South Asian textiles, 1500-1850 In: Riello, Giorgio and Roy, Tirthankar, (eds.) How India Clothed the World: the World of South Asian Textiles, 1500-1850. Global economic history series, 4. Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands. ISBN 9789004176539

Roy, Tirthankar (2009) Factor markets and the narrative of economic change in India, 1750–1950 Continuity and Change, 24 (1). 137-167. ISSN 0268-4160

Riello, Giorgio and Roy, Tirthankar, eds (2009) How India clothed the world: the world of South Asian textiles, 1500-1850 Global economic history series, 4. Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands. ISBN 9789004176539

Roy, Tirthankar (2009) Did globalisation aid industrial development in colonial India? A study of knowledge transfer in the iron industry Indian Economic and Social History Review, 46 (4). 579-613. ISSN 0019-4646

Roy, Tirthankar (2009) Did globalization aid industrial development in colonial India?: a study of knowledge transfer in the iron industry Economic History Working Papers, 127/09. Department of Economic History, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.

2008

Roy, Tirthankar (2008) The guild in modern South Asia International Review of Social History, 53 (S16). 95-120. ISSN 0020-8590

Roy, Tirthankar (2008) End of aid: external assistance and development strategy in India, 1950-65 In: Pharo, Helge and Fraser, Monika Pohle, (eds.) The Aid Rush: Aid Regimes in Northern Europe During the Cold War. Issues in contemporary history, 2. Oslo Academic Press, Oslo, Norway, 95-113. ISBN 9788274773806

Ahsan, Ahmad and Pages, Carmen and Roy, Tirthankar (2008) Legislation, enforcement and adjudication in Indian labor markets: origins, consequences and the way forward In: Mazumdar, Dipak and Sarkar, Sandip, (eds.) Globalization, Labor Markets and Inequality in India. Routledge studies in the growth economies of Asia (79). Routledge, London, UK, 247-282. ISBN 9780415436113

Roy, Tirthankar (2008) A grand synthesis Economic and Political Weekly, 43 (34). 27-33. ISSN 0012-9976

Roy, Tirthankar (2008) State, society and market in the aftermath of natural disasters in colonial India: a preliminary exploration Indian Economic and Social History Review, 45 (2). 261-294. ISSN 0019-4646

Roy, Tirthankar (2008) Knowledge and divergence from the perspective of early modern India Journal of Global History, 3 (3). 361-387. ISSN 1740-0228

Roy, Tirthankar (2008) Labour institutions, Japanese competition, and the crisis of cotton mills in interwar Mumbai Economic and Political Weekly, 43 (1). 37-45. ISSN 0012-9976

2007

Roy, Tirthankar (2007) A delayed revolution: environment and agrarian change in India Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 23 (2). 239-250. ISSN 0266-903X

Roy, Tirthankar (2007) Rethinking economic change in India: labour and livelihood Routledge explorations in economic history. Routledge, London, UK. ISBN 9780415459273

Roy, Tirthankar (2007) Globalization, factor prices, and poverty in colonial rural India Australian Economic History Review, 47 (1). 73-94. ISSN 0004-8992

Roy, Tirthankar (2007) Out of tradition: master artisans and economic change in colonial India Journal of Asian Studies, 66 (4). 963-991. ISSN 0021-9118

Roy, Tirthankar (2007) Sardars, jobbers, kanganies: the labour contractor and Indian economic history Modern Asian Studies, 42 (5). 971-998. ISSN 1469-8099

2006

Roy, Tirthankar (2006) The economic history of India 1857-1947 2nd, Oxford University Press, Delhi, India. ISBN 9780195684308

Roy, Tirthankar (2006) Roots of agrarian crisis in interwar India Economic and Political Weekly, 41 (52). 5389-5400. ISSN 0012-9976

2004

Roy, Tirthankar (2004) Madras handkerchiefs in the interwar period In: Subrahmanyam, Sanjay, (ed.) Land, Politics and Trade in South Asia. Oxford University Press India, New Delhi, India, 282-302. ISBN 9780195667073

Liebl, Maureen and Roy, Tirthankar (2004) Handmade in India: traditional craft skills in a changing world In: Finger, J. Michael and Schuler, Philip, (eds.) Poor People's Knowledge: Promoting Intellectual Property in Developing Countries. The World Bank and Oxford University Press, Washington DC, USA, 53-73. ISBN 9780821354876

Roy, Tirthankar (2004) Book review: economic reforms: the next step Economic and Political Weekly (6 Nov 2004) 4895

Roy, Tirthankar (2004) Economic history: an endangered discipline Economic and Political Weekly, 39 (29). 3238-3243. ISSN 0012-9976

Roy, Tirthankar (2004) Flourishing branches, wilting core: research in modern Indian economic history Australian Economic History Review, 44 (3). 221-240. ISSN 0004-8992

2003

Roy, Tirthankar (2003) Economic reforms and the textile industry In: Gokarn, Subir and Sen, Anindya and Vaidya, Rajendra R., (eds.) The Structure of Indian Industry. Oxford University Press, New Delhi, India, 82-111. ISBN 9780195649420

Roy, Tirthankar (2003) Economic history and postmodern theory Economic and Political Weekly, 38 (19). 1874-1878. ISSN 0012-9976

Liebl, Maureen and Roy, Tirthankar (2003) Handmade in India Economic and Political Weekly, 38 (51-52). 5366-5376. ISSN 0012-9976

Roy, Tirthankar (2003) Changes in wool production and usage in colonial India Modern Asian Studies, 37 (2). 257-286. ISSN 0026-749X

2002

Roy, Tirthankar (2002) Madras handkerchiefs in the interwar period Indian Economic and Social History Review, 39 (2-3). 285-300. ISSN 0019-4646

Roy, Tirthankar (2002) Deindustrialization In: Thorner, Alice, (ed.) Land, Labour and Rights: Ten Daniel Thorner Memorial Lectures. Anthem South Asian studies. Anthem Press, London, UK, 232-249. ISBN 9781843310709

Roy, Tirthankar (2002) Subaltern studies: questioning the basics Economic and Political Weekly, 37 (23). 2223-2228. ISSN 0012-9976

Roy, Tirthankar (2002) Acceptance of innovations in early twentieth century Indian weaving Economic History Review, 55 (3). 507-532. ISSN 1468-0289

Roy, Tirthankar (2002) Economic history and modern India: redefining the link Journal of Economic Perspectives, 16 (3). 109-130. ISSN 0895-3309

2001

Roy, Tirthankar (2001) An Asian world economy? Economic and Political Weekly, 36 (31). 2937-2942. ISSN 0012-9976

2000

Roy, Tirthankar (2000) De-industrialisation: alternative view Economic and Political Weekly, 35 (17). 1442-1447. ISSN 0012-9976

1999

Haynes, Douglas E. and Roy, Tirthankar (1999) Conceiving mobility: weavers’ migrations in pre-colonial and colonial India Indian Economic and Social History Review, 36 (1). 35-67. ISSN 0019-4646

Roy, Tirthankar (1999) Traditional industry in the economy of colonial India Cambridge studies in Indian history and society (5). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. ISBN 9780521650120

1998

Roy, Tirthankar (1998) Indian weaving in the 20th century Jahrbuch Für Wirtschaftsgeschichte (2). 129-150. ISSN 0075-2800

Roy, Tirthankar and Desai, Ashok V., eds (1998) Economic reforms: the next step Symposium papers, Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies, 1. Frank Bros. & Co, New Delhi, India, 4895. ISBN 9788171704224

Roy, Tirthankar (1998) Music as artisan tradition Contributions to Indian Sociology, 32 (1). 21-42. ISSN 0069-9667

1997

Roy, Tirthankar (1997) Capitalism and community: a study of the Madurai Sourashtras Indian Economic and Social History Review, 34 (4). 437-463. ISSN 0019-4646

1996

Roy, Tirthankar, ed (1996) Cloth and commerce: textiles in colonial India Sage Publications, New Delhi, India. ISBN 0803993005

Roy, Tirthankar (1996) The role of the state in initiating development: a study of interwar South and Southeast Asia Indian Economic and Social History Review, 33 (4). 373-401. ISSN 0019-4646

Sen, Kunal and Roy, Tirthankar and Krishnan, R. (1996) A flow of funds model for India and its implications Journal of Policy Modeling, 18 (5). 469-494. ISSN 0161-8938

Roy, Tirthankar (1996) Home market and the artisans in colonial India: a study of brass-ware Modern Asian Studies, 30 (2). 357-385. ISSN 0026-749X

1995

Roy, Tirthankar (1995) Price movements in twentieth-century India Economic History Review, 48 (1). 118-133. ISSN 1468-0289

1994

Roy, Tirthankar (1994) A concept of Indian music Journal of Indian Council of Philosophical Research. ISSN 0970-7794

Roy, Tirthankar (1994) The pattern of industrial growth in interwar India Journal of Indian School of Political Economy. ISSN 0971-0396

Roy, Tirthankar (1994) Foreign trade and the artisans in colonial India: a study of leather Indian Economic and Social History Review, 31 (4). 461-490. ISSN 0019-4646

Roy, Tirthankar and Sen, K. (1994) Real and financial flows in the Indian economy, 1970 to 1990 International Journal of Development Banking, 12 (1). ISSN 0970-1044

1993

Roy, Tirthankar (1993) Artisans and industrialization: Indian weaving in the twentieth century Oxford University Press, Delhi, India. ISBN 9780195631005

Roy, Tirthankar and Suryanarayana, M.H. and Parikh, K.S. (1993) Growth, distribution and demand for textiles in India Journal of Quantitative Economics. ISSN 0971-1554

Roy, Tirthankar (1993) Money supply and asset choice in inter-war India Indian Economic and Social History Review, 30 (2). 163-180. ISSN 0019-4646

1988

Roy, Tirthankar (1988) Size and structure of handloom weaving in the mid-thirties Indian Economic and Social History Review, 25 (1). 1-24. ISSN 0019-4646

This is global history written on India's terms, and, as such, the book invites Indian, South Asian, and global historians to rethink both their history and their methodologies.

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