The Political Economy of Underdevelopment: The Colonial State in Rayalaseema, c. 1860-1950

The Economics of Underdeveloped regions is a subject which invites the attention of all but still some regions are conspicuous by its backwardness and this striking feature is discussed in this book on Rayalaseema region. The main thrust of the book is on the impact of imperial intervention of this region’s development and also examined how the keepers of the past, after independence, could not be builders of the future in the direction of economic and social growth of this region. This undertaking addresses political economy issues and hence it is both appealing and daunting.  This book is my humble and honest attempt, recording my strenuous efforts spreading over a span of 25 years tracing out the evolution of Rayalaseema’s political economy and emphasizing the social structure of the area from colonial period to the present day. It is an elaborate attempt aiming at a critical examination of the region from all quarters and manifesting the various factors that have led to the present day menace of factionalism which has proved to be instrumental in the sheer backwardness of the area over a long period of time.