'This is a classical study, of unmatched detail and comprehensiveness...It has much to offer not just students of south Asia, but any reader of agricultural history and development' - Peter Robb, The Agricultural History Review This landmark study considers the roots of agricultural stagnation. It incorporates ecological, technical, demographic and economic factors, together with the impact of policies during colonial rule, and the influence of the rural social structure. It represents a major work in quantitative economic and social history, based on a detailed district case study of the genesis of underdevelopment in north Bihar, India during the last century of colonial rule.