Dr. Abhishek Chatterjee's Research on the Evolution of 19th Century Land Rights in India
In his classes on the politics of the world economy and property rights, Dr. Abhishek Chatterjee introduces students to core concepts in political economy and development. Dr. Abhishek encourages students to examine how land ownership, power, and economic systems interact, offering insight into the complexities of the structures that shape global development processes.
This exploration also shapes Dr. Chatterjee’s own research. In recent years, he has undertaken a major project examining the historical evolution of property rights in 19th-century India. His work investigates how land rights have developed and evolved, with a focus on the overlapping and hierarchical claims to land made by different classes and actors. One article from his research, Elites, Colonialism, and Property Rights in Historical Perspective, was published in Political Power and Social Theory. Currently, Dr. Chatterjee is preparing a second article and a book that further expand on this work.