Missionaries and Christian British Looted 45$ Trillions - Chat GPT

 The figure of £45 trillion often cited as the value of British loot from India refers to estimates made by economists and historians who have analyzed the economic impact of British colonial rule in India. It is primarily derived from the work of scholars like Utsa Patnaik, who quantified the economic exploitation of India under British rule. Here's a summary of the concept:

Basis for the Estimate

1. Drain of Wealth: Between the mid-18th century (after the Battle of Plassey in 1757) and the mid-20th century, the British systematically transferred wealth out of India. This was done through:

   • Excessive taxation: Taxes were imposed on Indian farmers and workers, but the revenue was often used for British benefit.
   • Unfair trade practices: Indian goods were exported without fair compensation, while British manufactured goods flooded the Indian markets.
   • Loot of resources: Precious items like gold, silver, and diamonds were extracted and sent to Britain.

2. Utsa Patnaik's Work: In her 2018 paper, Patnaik estimated that over the course of 200 years of British rule, nearly $45 trillion (in today's currency, or about £45 trillion) worth of wealth was drained from India. This figure is based on:

   • India's contribution to British GDP.
   • Loss of local economic opportunities.
   • Export revenues appropriated by Britain, especially through "home charges" (payments made by the Indian government to Britain for administrative costs).

Evidence of Loot

• Economic Deindustrialization: India's share of global GDP fell dramatically under British rule:
  • In 1700: ~24% of global GDP.
  • In 1947: ~4% of global GDP.
• Famine and Poverty: Policies such as forced cultivation of cash crops led to devastating famines (e.g., Bengal famine of 1943), causing millions of deaths.

Criticism and Context

• Some historians argue that calculating the exact monetary loss is speculative and cannot fully capture the intangible costs, such as cultural loss and social disruption.
• Others emphasize that not all British colonialists were directly complicit in looting, and some infrastructure (railways, law systems) was introduced, albeit for British benefits.

The figure underscores the scale of exploitation but is not universally accepted in historical circles. Nevertheless, it aligns with India's long-standing grievances about the economic and social costs of colonialism.