Who was the first nationalist to give the theory of the drain of wealth from India to England?

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This question was previously asked in

SSC CGL 2023 Tier-I Official Paper (Held On: 24 Jul 2023 Shift 1)

Answer 1

The correct answer is Dadabhai Naoroji.Key Points

Dadabhai Naoroji was the first nationalist leader who gave the theory of the drain of wealth from India to England.
He was a Parsi intellectual and a social reformer who was also known as the "Grand Old Man of India".
Naoroji wrote a book in 1867 titled "Poverty and Un-British Rule in India" in which he explained how British colonialism was exploiting India's resources and draining its wealth.
He estimated that India was losing around 200-300 million pounds annually to Britain due to various economic policies and practices.

Additional Information

Mahatma Gandhi was a prominent leader in India's freedom struggle who advocated for non-violent civil disobedience and mass movements to achieve independence.
- After taking over as the Indian National Congress's leader in 1921, Gandhi oversaw national campaigns to abolish untouchability, promote women's rights, reduce poverty, foster interethnic and religious harmony, and, most importantly, achieve swaraj, or self-rule.
RC Dutt was an Indian civil servant, economist, and writer who wrote extensively on India's economic and social conditions during the colonial period.
- He translated the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.
SN Banerjee was a lawyer and politician who was one of the founders of the Indian National Congress and played a key role in the Swadeshi movement against British goods.
- To unite Muslims and Hindus for political action, Banerjee established the Indian National Association, a nationalist group.
The theory of drain of wealth became a key concept in India's nationalist discourse and was used to highlight the economic exploitation of India by British colonialism.