Accidental Gamblers
Risk and Vulnerability in Vidarbha Cotton

A study of farmers' gamble with cotton in Vidarbha, India by relying on historical research and 12 years of longitudinal study.

Sarthak Gaurav (Author), Thiagu Ranganathan (Author)

9781108832298, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 24 August 2023

260 pages
23.5 x 15.8 x 3.2 cm, 0.77 kg

Vidarbha – a major cotton growing region in central India has been the epicentre of a protracted agrarian crisis. Chronic indebtedness and farmers' suicides continue unabated despite decades of state intervention. Going beyond the contemporary discourse that finds fault in neoliberal policies and integration with global markets, this fascinating book tells the story of how nineteenth century 'accidents' particularly in the form of colonial policies and the American Civil War ushered in institutional transformations that shaped the region's cotton economy. By drawing insights from their longitudinal study in villages of the region spanning 12 years, Gaurav and Ranganathan present the 'gambles' that farmers are part of. The novelty of combining a long view of history and evidence based on primary field research results in a book that underscores the importance of investigating roots of agrarian crisis and paying attention to adjustments of farm households, at a crucial juncture in India's economic transformation.

List of Figures
Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
Introduction
1. A Brief History of Vidarbha
2. Accidents and Gambles in Colonial Vidarbha
3. Field and Fieldwork
4. Gambles of Farmers
5. Inputs in the Cotton Gamble
6. Risk and Vulnerability
7. Conclusion
Glossary
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Economic history [KCZ], Political economy [KCP], Development economics & emerging economies [KCM], Economic growth [KCG], Labour economics [KCF]