--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The British succeeded. India…" description: "\"“The British succeeded. India deindustrialized, it ruralized. As the industrial revolution spread in England, India was turning into a poor, ruralized ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/noam-chomsky-42_free-trade_the-british-succeeded-india-deindustrial_410272.jpg" --- # The British succeeded. India deindustrialized, it… ![“The British succeeded. India deindustrialized, it ruralized. As the industrial revolution spread in England, India was turning into a poor, ruralized and agrarian country. It wasn’t until 1846, when their competitors had been destroyed and they were way ahead, that Britain suddenly discovered the…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/noam-chomsky-42_free-trade_the-british-succeeded-india-deindustrial_410272.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/noam-chomsky-42_free-trade_the-british-succeeded-india-deindustrial_410272.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/noam-chomsky-42_free-trade_the-british-succeeded-india-deindustrial_410272.jpg) > ““The British succeeded. India deindustrialized, it ruralized. As the industrial revolution spread in England, India was turning into a poor, ruralized and agrarian country. It wasn’t until 1846, when their competitors had been destroyed and they were way ahead, that Britain suddenly discovered the merits of free trade. Read the British liberal historians, the big advocates of free trade—they were very well aware of it. Right through that period they say: “Look, what we’re doing to India isn’t pretty, but there’s no other way for the mills of Manchester to survive. We have to destroy the competition.”” [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Britain’s industrial dominance led to India’s deindustrialization and forced it into an agrarian economy, later justified by free‑trade rhetoric to protect British mills. **In simple terms:** Britain’s growth harmed India, later defended as free trade. Key Takeaway Recognize how economic power can shape policy narratives. Themes imperialism economics trade colonialism Mood critical analytical Type historical political economic When to use this quote - policy analysis - educational curricula - development aid - business strategy Key Concepts dependency theory neoliberalism historical materialism Questions to Reflect On - How do modern trade policies reflect historic power dynamics? - What alternatives exist to protect vulnerable economies? A Different Perspective Free‑trade arguments often mask underlying power imbalances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Free trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-trade/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Industrial revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industrial-revolution/) ## Related quotes > [My father came to England from India in 1957, and my mum came in 1960.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjeev-bhaskar/my-father-came-to-england-from-india-in-1957-and-my-mum-came-in-1960/) [Sanjeev Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjeev-bhaskar/) > [I was born in England, but India is the only place I feel at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adnan-sami/i-was-born-in-england-but-india-is-the-only-place-i-feel-at-home/) [Adnan Sami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adnan-sami/) > [There is a phrase in trade theory; it's called "kicking away the ladder." 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