UPPSC 2021 Prelims Q75: In which year the book 'Poverty and Unbritish Rule in

Q: What is the answer to UPPSC 2021 Prelims Q75?

B. Correct — B, 1901. Dadabhai Naoroji's celebrated work 'Poverty and Un-British Rule in India' was published in 1901 (London). The book gathered his earlier papers and speeches into a systematic statement of the 'Drain of Wealth' theory — the argument that British rule was steadily draining India's wealth to England, making colonial rule 'un-British', i.e. contrary to Britain's own professed liberal principles.

UPPSC 2021 Prelims GS Paper-I · Question 75 of 150

Verified against the official question paper. Answer as per the official UPPSC answer key.

In which year the book 'Poverty and Unbritish Rule in India' was published?

(a)1900 A.D.
(b)1901 A.D.
(c)1902 A.D.
(d)1903 A.D.

Answer

Why

Correct — B, 1901. Dadabhai Naoroji's celebrated work 'Poverty and Un-British Rule in India' was published in 1901 (London). The book gathered his earlier papers and speeches into a systematic statement of the 'Drain of Wealth' theory — the argument that British rule was steadily draining India's wealth to England, making colonial rule 'un-British', i.e. contrary to Britain's own professed liberal principles.

Why the others are wrong

(a)1900 A.D. — Close but incorrect — the book appeared in 1901, not 1900.
(c)1902 A.D. — Incorrect — publication was in 1901; 1902 is a year too late.
(d)1903 A.D. — Incorrect — the work was published in 1901, not 1903.

Concept

Dadabhai Naoroji (1825–1917), the 'Grand Old Man of India' and the first Indian to sit in the British House of Commons, pioneered the economic critique of colonialism. In 'Poverty and Un-British Rule in India' (1901) he developed the Drain of Wealth theory and made an early systematic estimate of India's per-capita income (about Rs 20 for 1867-68), showing how resources were transferred from India to Britain.

For a 'year of publication' item the reasoning is recall-based; anchor the book to its author and its idea — Naoroji, the Drain theory, 1901 — and to the phrase 'Un-British', which is the book's very title. UPSC has repeatedly linked Naoroji to this book and this phrase.

Key facts

'Poverty and Un-British Rule in India' — by Dadabhai Naoroji, published 1901.
States the 'Drain of Wealth' theory of colonial exploitation.
Contains Naoroji's estimate of India's per-capita income (~Rs 20, 1867-68).
Naoroji — 'Grand Old Man of India'; thrice INC President; first Indian MP in the British Parliament.

An 1892 black-and-white photograph of Dadabhai Naoroji, an elderly bearded man with glasses in a dark suit, seated with his hand resting against his cheek beside a carved table. — author of 'Poverty and Un-British Rule in India' (1901) and originator of the Drain of Wealth theory.Image: R.M. Richardson & Co · Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Study next

Drain of Wealth theory and the economic critique of colonialismEarly nationalist economists: R.C. Dutt, M.G. Ranade, G.V. JoshiDadabhai Naoroji: INC presidencies, British MP, moderate phase'Home Charges' and the mechanisms of the drainNationalist writings: R.C. Dutt's 'Economic History of India'

Common traps

Guessing an adjacent year — the book is 1901 (align it with the 'Un-British' phrase).
Attributing the Drain theory or this book to R.C. Dutt or Ranade instead of Naoroji.

UPSC/UPPSC ask who wrote/coined 'Un-British', who first estimated Indian per-capita income, or the year/authorship of key nationalist economic texts.

Related PYQs

UPSC_2008_GS1_Q752008Open & attempt →

Who among the following used the phrase 'Un-British' to criticize the English colonial control of India?

(a) Anandmohan Bose
(b) Badruddin Tyabji
(c) Dadabhai Naoroji
(d) Pherozeshah Mehta

Answer(c) Dadabhai Naoroji

Same concept — the phrase 'Un-British' comes from the title of Naoroji's 1901 book, the subject of this question.

UPSC_2000_GS1_Q752000Open & attempt →

That the per capita income in India was Rs. 20 in 1867-68, was ascertained for the first time by

(a) M. G. Ranade
(b) Sir W. Hunter
(c) R. C. Dutta
(d) Dadabhai Naoroji

Answer(d) Dadabhai Naoroji

Same concept — the per-capita-income estimate is drawn from Naoroji's 'Poverty and Un-British Rule in India', the book named here.

Practice

practice — not a real PYQ
The 'Drain of Wealth' theory of colonial exploitation is most closely associated with:
- (a)Bal Gangadhar Tilak
- (b)Dadabhai Naoroji
- (c)Bipin Chandra Pal
- (d)Lala Lajpat Rai
Answer(b) Dadabhai Naoroji — elaborated in 'Poverty and Un-British Rule in India' (1901).
practice — not a real PYQ
Who made an early systematic estimate of India's per-capita (national) income during the colonial period?
- (a)R.C. Dutt
- (b)M.G. Ranade
- (c)Dadabhai Naoroji
- (d)William Digby
Answer(c) Dadabhai Naoroji — about Rs 20 for 1867-68.