History, Institutions, and Economic Performance: The Legacy of Colonial Land Tenure Systems in India
Posted: 7 Apr 2006
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History, Institutions and Economic Performance: The Legacy of Colonial Land Tenure Systems in India
Abstract
We analyze the colonial land revenue institutions set up by the British in India, and show that differences in historical property rights institutions lead to sustained differences in economic outcomes. Areas in which proprietary rights in land were historically given to landlords have significantly lower agricultural investments and productivity in the post-independence period than areas in which these rights were given to the cultivators. These areas also have significantly lower investments in health and education. These differences are not driven by omitted variables or endogeneity problems; they probably arise because differences in historical institutions lead to very different policy choices.
Keywords: History, land tenure, development
JEL Classification: O11, P16, P51
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation