India's Economic Inequality In The United States

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India is home to one of the fastest-growing economies worldwide, yet most of its people are impoverished due to economic inequality. In September of 2017, India’s income inequality was at its highest point in ninety-two years; the top 1% of earners raked in a massive 22% of the nation’s total income (Biswas). While recent reforms have prolonged India’s economic disparities, the root of the problem lies within the nation’s colonial past. From 1858 to 1947, the English Crown ruled India during a period known as the British Raj. Though British colonists gave India more access to European markets, the social and economic policies they employed worsened poverty and only benefited the elite members of society. Although India reached independence …show more content…
India’s current social and economic turmoil stems from the nation’s colonial history because during the British Raj European colonists exploited India’s resources and created widespread inequality among citizens.
India’s current income inequality is rooted in economic policies enforced under the British Raj, for this system weakened India’s industries and impoverished its people. Prior to colonial invasions, India’s economy flourished through the production of textiles and handmade goods. However, British leaders under the Crown Raj suppressed India’s textile industry to grow their own, shipping raw goods from India to England and returning with manufactured items (“British Impact”). As a result, India’s economy grew a meager 1% each year while English markets flourished. Although free trade policies benefited the British, Indian industries had no protection from European competition and suffered huge …show more content…
In 1885, native Indians founded the Indian National Congress, the first Indian nationalist movement formed under British rule. However, members of this group were affluent men from professional classes who were educated in English (“British Impact”). Though nationalist movements led to India’s independence, they also enabled the upper class to have unfair control over India’s government. Poor people of the lower class were unable to access education, and thus, they were not qualified to become political leaders. The unequal representation of Indian people in the nation’s political system perpetuated income inequality because the wealthy elite held control of the government, and in turn, the economy. Additionally, the British exploited India’s Caste System and encouraged Indians to form political groups based on social class (Subramanian). This turned the Caste System into a political issue that divided society and made it impossible for citizens to agree on a plan to resolve economic turmoil. Though the lower castes were eventually granted political representation through affirmative action policies, this had no impact on rising poverty levels and income inequality (Subramanian). Political divisions fostered during the British Raj continue to harm India today, for those with power continue to earn more
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