Class and Inequality in China and India, 1950-2010

Taking a long-term perspective, China and India were central to the world economy 250 years ago—they contributed half of the entire world output then, and they have become important again (they contribute close to a quarter of the world output now) after a long gap—in 1950, they contributed only about one-tenth. This book sets up a comparative analysis of the inequality stories of China and India between 1950 and 2010. By comparing inequality dynamics in both countries, it also contributes to the literature on the comparative method and the literature that has emerged over the last several decades comparing China and India. Indian and Chinese experiences with growth and inequality have a strikingly similar trajectory after Indian independence (in 1947) and the Chinese revolution (in 1949), although China has succeeded in achieving higher growth and output between 1950 and present. This book also provides explanations for why this is the case. Second, it provides a fresh perspective on growth and inequality by analyzing inequality from a class dimension. Surprisingly, in the Indian and Chinese inequality literature, while there is a lot of focus on other axes (rural–urban, regional, national), a class perspective has not received the attention it deserves. Third, it locates inequality in these countries in the larger contexts of Asian and global capitalism, demonstrating mutual connections. Fourth, this book provides an understanding of within-country economic inequality dynamics, building on the insights of Simon Kuznets and Thomas Piketty.