__________________________________________________________________ RJOE JOURNAL 372 EconomicExploitation in Shashi Tharoor’s An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India

Shashi Tharoor’s An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India presents a powerful and meticulously researched account of the economic exploitation suffered by India under British colonial rule. This paper delves into the various dimensions of that exploitation, examining how the British systematically dismantled India’s indigenous industries, drained its wealth, and manipulated economic policies to serve imperial interests. Tharoor highlights the deindustrialization of traditional crafts, the unjust tax systems, the deliberate destruction of Indian agriculture and the catastrophic famines exacerbated by colonial mismanagement. Through references to historical data and critical theories such as the Drain of wealth, the paper underscores the profound economic damage inflicted upon India, debunking myths of colonial benevolence. It also critiques the so-called infrastructural developments like the railways, exposing them as tools of extraction rather than empowerment. By analyzing Tharoor’s arguments, this study contributes to postcolonial discourse, asserting that he legacy of British rule left India impoverished, economically stunted, and burdened with structural inequalities that persist even today.