Fiscal Capacity and the Colonial State in Asia and Africa, c.1850-1960

This book explores the evolution of fiscal capacity in colonial states between 1850 and 1960, as European control expanded and home governments sought to make colonies self-supporting. It provides a comparative overview of administrative systems and the institutional legacies of colonialism.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 319 pages
Publication date: 29 September 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

This comprehensive book delves into the intricate evolution of fiscal capacity within the framework of colonial state formation and the transformative shift in global order between 1850 and 1960. Until the early nineteenth century, European colonial control over Asia and Africa primarily consisted of coastal and island settlements, serving as mere trading posts. The officials overseeing these settlements lacked both the resources and the necessity to create innovative fiscal instruments. However, as imperialism expanded, the costs associated with maintaining colonies soared. Home governments, seeking to avoid placing the financial burden of imperial expansion on metropolitan taxpayers, exerted pressure on colonial governments to achieve fiscal self-sufficiency. A team of esteemed historians offers a comparative analysis of how colonial states established their administrative structures and how these regimes engaged local communities and elites. Through their insightful research, they shed new light on the political economy of colonial state formation and the enduring institutional legacies that followed independence.

ISBN-13: 9781108714297