Colonial legacy in South Asia. Focus on India

We will host the presentation of the special issue of the Rivista di Storia Economica devoted to “Colonial Legacy in South Asia.” Particular attention will be given to the three articles focused on India, which will serve as the basis for discussion. The contributions address, among other issues, the state-led creation of rural credit cooperatives and their enduring weaknesses, the rise in life expectancy between 1940 and 1970 driven largely by malaria eradication, and the persistence of colonial laws shaped by post-independence development strategies. These perspectives will provide important insights into the ways in which colonial institutions continued to influence India’s economic and social trajectory.