American Trade In Bengal (Hardcover)

"American Trade In Bengal" Taken From The 'Forword' Of The Book:
Colonial powers, as history attests, have always used trade as the key to resource accumulation for their home countries. British East India Company's trade in the Indian subcontinent is a case in point. The people of this region are therefore aware of the British East India Company or even Portuguese trading activities. Hardly have they known about America's trade in the areas of the Bay of Bengal. Against this background, Professor Sirajul Islam's book titled, American Trade in Bengal, has delved into the dynamics of American trade in Bengal. Through this research, Professor Islam unfolds a new horizon of knowledge in the economic history of Bengal. As the people of Indian subcontinent have grown up with the pre conceived notion of the British East India Company's dominant role in Bengal trade, the fact appears novel that the American ships with the traders anchored at the Bay of Bengal and traded goods with local merchants. In course of time, a huge drainage of resources took place, atrophying Bengal's position in the world's export market. According to Professor Islam, Bengal immensely contributed through the supply of raw materials to the flourishing of America's industrialization.
Following his vast research experiences, Professor Islam left no stone unturned to be thoroughly meticulous in collecting data. His description of the methodology testifies how serious he was in the collection of primary data, as he was uncompromising about the reliable data he could collect. In the introduction of his book, Professor Islam has mentioned that he travelled to various archives and libraries in the USA and Britain to collect data. Based on such rich sources, this study is a valuable contribution to the development of historical knowledge about Indian Ocean Trade during 17th and 18th centuries in general, and American Trade in Bengal in particular.