▁thought ▁is ▁still ▁in ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁development . ▁In ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁D iana ▁L . ▁E ck ▁in ▁her ▁India : ▁A ▁Sac red ▁Geography ▁( 2 0 1 3 ) ▁arg ues ▁that ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁India ▁dates ▁to ▁a ▁much ▁earlier ▁time ▁than ▁the ▁British ▁or ▁the ▁M ugh als ▁and ▁it ▁wasn ' t ▁just ▁a ▁cluster ▁of ▁regional ▁ident ities ▁and ▁it ▁wasn ' t ▁eth nic ▁or ▁ra cial . ▁ ▁Deb ate ▁continues ▁about ▁the ▁economic ▁impact ▁of ▁British ▁imperial ism ▁on ▁India . ▁The ▁issue ▁was ▁actually ▁raised ▁by ▁conserv ative ▁British ▁politician ▁Edmund ▁Bur ke ▁who ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 8 0 s ▁veh ement ly ▁attacked ▁the ▁East ▁India ▁Company , ▁claim ing ▁that ▁Warren ▁H ast ings ▁and ▁other ▁top ▁officials ▁had ▁ru ined ▁the ▁Indian ▁economy ▁and ▁society . ▁Indian ▁historian ▁Raj at ▁K anta ▁Ray ▁( 1 9 9 8 ) ▁continues ▁this ▁line ▁of ▁attack , ▁saying ▁the ▁new ▁economy ▁brought ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁was ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁" pl under " ▁and ▁a ▁cat ast rop he ▁for ▁the ▁traditional ▁economy ▁of ▁M ug hal ▁India . ▁Ray ▁acc uses ▁the ▁British ▁of ▁de ple ting ▁the ▁food ▁and ▁money ▁stock s ▁and ▁impos ing ▁high ▁tax es ▁that ▁helped ▁cause ▁the ▁terrible ▁fam ine ▁of ▁ 1 7 7 0 , ▁which ▁killed ▁a ▁third ▁of ▁the ▁people ▁of ▁Beng al . ▁ ▁Re