Comments on: Calcutta in the Nineteenth Century: An Archival Exploration /region/central_south_asia/calcutta-in-the-nineteenth-century-an-archival-exploration/ Fact-based, well-reasoned perspectives from around the world Sat, 25 Jan 2025 16:22:12 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Atul Singh /region/central_south_asia/calcutta-in-the-nineteenth-century-an-archival-exploration/#comment-40208 Sat, 25 Jan 2025 16:22:12 +0000 /?p=154249#comment-40208 Till 1757, a Shia dynasty with origins in Najaf, modern day Iraq, was ruling Bengal. The young ruler was murderous, incompetent and unpopular. Blaming the British is very fashionable in left-leaning circles but, in their defense, British thinkers introduced progressive ideas to India, including the very idea of democracy itself.

Of course, the British looted India as well. Yet we cannot run away from the fact that our modern ideas and administrative systems have British roots.

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