Asian Drama- An inquiry into the poverty of Nations

‘Asian Drama- An inquiry into the poverty of Nations’, by Gunnar Myrdal, is one of the most detailed research ventures ever undertaken into the region of South Asia. Even today there are few works that are at par with it in terms of depth of research into South Asia. Considered a classic by many, the book offers readers a different perspective into the economy of the region; one of more clarity and objectiveness.

The author sets out to make an honest, unbiased and unsympathetic study into the economics of the region, but it turned out to be a slightly pessimistic outlook into the same. He claims economists of the region had a tendency to be highly optimistic and that western economists relied too heavily on the use of theories and practices drawn from the growth of western countries into ‘developed nations’. He felt the circumstances were so different for western countries in the pre-industrialization era that no similarities could be drawn from them in making conclusions and inferences. So strong was his belief that he abundantly clarifies the difference in circumstances, by citing examples of inconsistency, frequently throughout the book; more times than one can keep track of. Although, in his endeavor to establish differences between the circumstances I did feel that, in some instances he stretched too far just to add volume to his argument and in some occasions these inferences turned out to be fallacious. That being said, these instances are far and few in between, but evident enough to draw attention to the fact that he is an outsider, and that some of his assumptions tend to be affected by the fact that he isn’t from South Asia.