In this episode with New Wave History, Ilhan Niaz discusses his 2019 book, “The State During the British Raj: Imperial Governance in South Asia, 1700 to 1947”, and examines the significant impact of British rule on the organization of states in South Asia.
In this video, Ilhan Niaz addresses questions, such as why the British succeeded in conquering South Asia in the first place.
The British presence in South Asia significantly influenced the creation of modern states, fostering a liberal and democratic orientation. After gaining independence in 1947, India established a stable constitutional democracy, while Pakistan struggled with an unstable oligarchic system marked by shifts between civilian and military regimes.
The book underscores the vulnerabilities within the Mughal Empire that enabled British conquest. The Mughals’ isolation from society, internal fragmentation, and weak loyalty even among elites created an unstable foundation. Technological gaps, particularly in printing and ocean navigation, further weakened the empire. While the Mughals were aware of these advancements, they failed to adopt them effectively.
Nader Shah's catastrophic invasion in 1739 accelerated the empire’s decline. Despite economic strengths, including a trade surplus and a unified currency, the Mughals did not experience significant agrarian or industrial transformations. Their reliance on dynastic authority and personal power made them ill-equipped to confront the emerging dynamics of modern nation-states, as exemplified by British governance.
By the time the British established control, South Asia remained largely pre-industrial. The Mughal Empire’s inability to modernize or address systemic vulnerabilities left the region vulnerable to colonial domination and shaped its trajectory toward modern statehood.