DURING 18TH CENTURY INDIAN SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC LIFE

Abstract

The eighteenth century in India witnessed many epoch making events. These events restructured power equation and paved the way for the changed social and economic life. The political crumbling of the Mughal state is one of the most noteworthy developments that took place in the first half of the 18th century. There are divergent views on the nature of economic and social change in the aftermath of Mughal decline. Scholars are sharply divided between those who regard the decline as an offshoot of economic crisis and exploitation by the ruling classes and those who hold the political turmoil as a sign of regional assertiveness asserted by certain degree of economic prosperity. The Mughal collapse had aroused interest to the study of the economy and society of India in the 18th century. The scholarss had divergent views on the issue of scrutinizing the century in the context of Mughal decline.