West Indies technologies in the East Indies: Imperial preference and sugar business in Bihar, 1800–1850s
本文研究1830–1840年代欧洲糖业企业家在印度比哈尔采用新技术的尝试，发现英国殖民政策偏向消费者福利、忽视殖民地制造业，导致农业投资不足，阻碍了糖业技术升级。
Today India is among the major sugar producers and sugar-making has a long tradition, yet the adoption of modern sugar technologies was delayed. Which factors underpinned this? This article examines the attempts of European sugar entrepreneurs to adopt new sugar technologies in 1830s–1840s Bihar. Its findings correspond with recent literature on Indian economic development which emphasises the role of declining agricultural productivity in economic stagnation in the colonial period. This article supports the conclusions that low agricultural productivity was the outcome of inadequate investment on the part of the British Empire. It also highlights that in the case of commercial crops – such as sugar – investment into new technologies with potential for increasing productivity was hindered by British trade policies. As British imperial policies gave preference to the welfare of the British consumer, lacked consideration for colonial manufacturing, they did not create a beneficial environment for long-run investment projects.