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Pre-Colonial Warfare and Long-Run Development in India

Author

Listed:
  • Dincecco, Mark

    (University of Michigan)

  • Fenske, James

    (University of Warwick)

  • Menon, Anil

    (University of Michigan)

  • Mukherjee, Shivaji

    (University of Toronto)

Abstract
We analyze the relationship between pre-colonial warfare and long-run development patterns in India. We construct a new geocoded database of historical interstate conflicts on the Indian subcontinent, from which we compute measures of local exposure to pre-colonial warfare. We document a positive and significant relationship between pre-colonial conflict exposure and local economic development across India today. This result is robust to numerous checks, including controls for geographic endowments, initial state capacity, colonial-era institutions, ethnic and religious fractionalization, and colonial and post-colonial conflict, and an instrumental variables strategy that exploits variation in pre-colonial conflict exposure driven by cost distance to the Khyber Pass. Drawing on rich archival and secondary data, we show that districts that were more exposed to pre-colonial conflict experienced greater local pre-colonial and colonial-era state-making, and less political violence and higher infrastructre investments in the long term. We argue that reductions in local levels of violence and greater investments in physical capital were at least in part a function of more powerful local government institutions.

Suggested Citation

  • Dincecco, Mark & Fenske, James & Menon, Anil & Mukherjee, Shivaji, 2020. "Pre-Colonial Warfare and Long-Run Development in India," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 1272, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:wrk:warwec:1272
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    3. Abraham, Samira S. & Lanzara, Gianandrea & Lazzaroni, Sara & Masella, Paolo & Squicciarini, Mara P., 2024. "Spatial and historical drivers of fake news diffusion: Evidence from anti-Muslim discrimination in India," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
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    5. Morshed, Safya, 2024. "The evolutionary empire: demystifying state formation in Mughal South Asia (1556-1707)," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 120982, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Warfare ; Economic Development ; State Capacity ; Public Goods ; India ; History JEL codes: N45 ; O11 ; P48 ; H11;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N45 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Asia including Middle East
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • P48 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Other Economic Systems - - - Legal Institutions; Property Rights; Natural Resources; Energy; Environment; Regional Studies
    • H11 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Structure and Scope of Government

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