STRATEGIC ANALYSIS

Colonialism Matters: Benefits of Metropoles with a Focus on India and Great Britain

Leonid Grigoryev is Tenured Professor and Academic Supervisor in the Department of World Economy, Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs at the Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia.
Alexandra Morozkina is Associate Professor and Deputy Dean of Science at the Higher School of Economics and Senior Research Fellow at the Financial Research Institute, Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation.
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  • November 2022
    Volume: 
    46
    Issue: 
    6
    Articles

    The history of colonialism normally focusses on the socio-economic losses of colonies, and the benefits of metropoles are a much less-studied field. Our study indicates that the flow of resources, rent and personal wealth should not be downplayed as factors of economic growth in the key Empires, although information on most subjects is limited. This importance could be demonstrated (although not fully quantitatively evaluated) by India–United Kingdom relations before 1913. We highlight the key channels of this influence (trade, investment and migration), and the persistence of the income gaps between the dominant and dependent countries until their independence.

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