Patrimonialism, Bureaucratization, and Fiscal Systems of British Bengal, 1765–1819

Abstract

An important feature of the political economy of 18th century Bengal was a system of land revenue administration characterized by a complex set of patrimonial arrangements that had developed out of hundreds of years’ experience with a series of foreign and indigenous rulers. The East India Company’s (EIC) administration of this fiscal system during the 18th and 19th centuries shows one path toward the development of modern capitalism in the imperial context. In an effort to extract resources and consolidate political power, the EIC bureaucratized elements of Bengal’s patrimonial order. The EIC carried out this process in part through the creation of property rights and contract enforcement institutions in the fiscal system.

Citation

Martin, M. (2015), "Patrimonialism, Bureaucratization, and Fiscal Systems of British Bengal, 1765–1819", Patrimonial Capitalism and Empire (Political Power and Social Theory, Vol. 28), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 191-216. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0198-871920150000028008