Dr. Taimur Rahman

Lahore-born professor at LUMS

Compiled from 1 recorded interview. Every statement below is drawn from the passage cited beside it.

Dr. Taimur Rahman is a Lahore-born professor at LUMS, where he has taught for about 20 years. He completed a PhD in political economy at SOAS, part of the University of London, on the class structure of Pakistan, and the thesis was published by Oxford University Press. He studied at Grinnell College in the United States and completed a master's degree at the University of Sussex.

Early life and background

Rahman was born in Lahore. His father is a Marxist and his mother is a feminist. [1]

Education

Rahman received his primary education at Aitchison College. He went to the United States for his bachelor's degree and studied at Grinnell College, which he describes as a liberal arts college. He double majored in political science and economics and minored in philosophy and music. [1]

He says a liberal arts college gave him access to literature he might not have studied in Pakistan. He did a special independent study with a professor. He says he had never read Marx. He read The Communist Manifesto one summer. On campus, he was referred to as "that Pakistani Marxist". [1]

Graduate study

Rahman completed a master's degree in international relations at the University of Sussex. He completed his PhD at SOAS, part of the University of London. The PhD was in political economy and focused on the class structure of Pakistan. He says he completed it in four years. [1]

He says he first set out to understand globalization's impact on Pakistan. His PhD supervisor told him the work was a longitudinal study of Pakistan's class structure, not only about globalization. The first part of the PhD examined the class structure before the British, and the third part covered Pakistan's political economy over the last 70 years. The thesis was published by Oxford University Press and won an award. [1]

Career

Rahman taught economics at the Lahore School of Economics for three years. He then taught at LUMS for four years as an entry-level professor. He started teaching at LUMS before finishing his PhD. He took a break from LUMS to finish his PhD and then returned to LUMS. [1]

He says he joined LUMS in 2002 and has taught there for about 20 years. He says LUMS had no Humanities and Social Sciences school when he started teaching there. He says LUMS has become much larger over his time there. [1]

Views on political economy

Rahman describes political economy as the study of how a society's economic structure and political structure shape each other. He says classical economists such as Ricardo called themselves political economists. He says economics as a discipline began in the 1920s. He says Adam Smith's book used the term political economy, not economics. [1]

He says profit maximization is not the same as output or growth maximization, and that output maximization is not the same as growth maximization. He says not all commodities contribute equally to growth. He says raising production of capital goods raises both output and growth. [1]

Views on Pakistan's political history

Rahman says Pakistan was not always a right-wing country and was very left-wing in the 1970s. He says Pakistan had a left-wing prime minister in the 1970s. He says Pakistan was under a religious right-wing dictatorship for 11 years. [1]

Views on the subcontinent under the Mughals and the British

Rahman says Marx introduced a category called the Asiatic mode of production. He says land was not private property in the subcontinent until the British arrived. He says a jagirdar was a cavalryman, not an agriculturalist, and that the emperor assigned a jagir to a jagirdar for three to four years. He says silk went to a jagirdar. He says the village economy was run by a caste system called biradri. [1]

He says the British introduced the Permanent Settlement Act in Bengal in 1793. He says the British introduced private landownership in Punjab in the 1860s. He says the modern landed structure was introduced by the British, not the Mughals. [1]

Rahman argues that capitalism evolved in Pakistan and India very differently from Europe. He calls the system the British created colonial capitalism, a hybrid of older and capitalist systems. He says the colonial system lacked the capacity for growth, and that the British built canals and railways for their own purposes, not as a favour. He says India began to reach about 3 percent growth and Pakistan about 6 percent. [1]

Views on economic policy

Rahman says his criticism is of the whole neoliberal framework, not only the IMF. He says in some circumstances the state must enter business to fix the economy. He says Pakistan did liberalize, including privatization and deregulation in the 1990s. [1]

He says the army budget should be cut. He says the money saved should go into power, transport and engineering. He says Pakistan cannot make the best tools and imports them. [1]

He says a study finds that the form of ownership and management has no correlation with efficiency. He says efficiency depends mainly on the technological foundation of production. He says government has greater scale than any Pakistani capitalist, despite being bankrupt. [1]

Views on energy and infrastructure

Rahman says Pakistan neglected rail in favour of roads and buses. He says moving freight by bus costs at least ten times more than by rail. He says the Railway Workers Union was the most powerful union in Pakistan. He says the Nawaz government chose road development to end dependence on rail. He says Pakistan's road infrastructure is among the best in the region. [1]

He says China built a very large rail network over the last 20 years. He says goods should move by rail, while passenger tickets can be priced higher. [1]

Timeline

2002: Joined LUMS, according to his own account.[1]

Appearances

Date	Title	Where
2022-12-14	Why Pakistan's economy can't be fixed by the free market	Thought Behind Things

Frequently asked questions

Who is Dr. Taimur Rahman?

Dr. Taimur Rahman was born in Lahore and has taught at LUMS for about 20 years. He completed a PhD in political economy at SOAS, part of the University of London, with a thesis on the class structure of Pakistan.[1]

What does Dr. Taimur Rahman do?

Dr. Taimur Rahman teaches at LUMS, where he has taught for about 20 years. Earlier he taught economics at the Lahore School of Economics for three years.[1]

Where did Dr. Taimur Rahman study?

Dr. Taimur Rahman received his primary education at Aitchison College and studied at Grinnell College in the United States. He completed a master's degree in international relations at the University of Sussex and a PhD at SOAS, part of the University of London.[1]

Where is Dr. Taimur Rahman from?

Dr. Taimur Rahman was born in Lahore. He received his primary education at Aitchison College.[1]

What was Dr. Taimur Rahman's PhD about?

Dr. Taimur Rahman's PhD was in political economy and focused on the class structure of Pakistan. The first part examined the class structure before the British, and the third part covered Pakistan's political economy over the last 70 years.[1]

How does Dr. Taimur Rahman define political economy?

Dr. Taimur Rahman describes political economy as the study of how a society's economic structure and political structure shape each other. He says classical economists such as Ricardo called themselves political economists.[1]

What does Dr. Taimur Rahman say about Pakistan's railways?

Dr. Taimur Rahman says Pakistan neglected rail in favour of roads and buses. He says moving freight by bus costs at least ten times more than by rail, and that goods should move by rail.[1]

References

Why Pakistan's economy can't be fixed by the free market . Thought Behind Things , 2022-12-14.

Show the source passages (78 statements)

He was born in Lahore. I was born in Lahore. I am a Lahori.
He received his primary education at Aitchison College. Aur ibtidai taleem maine Aitchison College se hasil ki
He went to the United States for his bachelor's degree. bachelors ke liye main America chala gaya
He double majored in political science and economics. maine double major kiya in political science and economics and a minor in philosophy and music.
He minored in philosophy and music. maine double major kiya in political science and economics and a minor in philosophy and music.
He studied at Grinnell College, which he describes as a liberal arts college. Grinnell College. It's a liberal arts college, very nice college.
He taught economics at the Lahore School of Economics for three years. Aur phir main wapas aaya Lahore School of Economics mein, teen saal main economics padhata raha. So I started as an economics professor.
He completed a master's degree in international relations at the University of Sussex. This is '98. Right. '98. Aur uske baad main masters karne chala gaya at the University of Sussex, phir international relations mein IR, IR mein masters kiya.
He then taught at LUMS for four years as an entry-level professor. Phir wapas aaya, phir LUMS mein padhata raha chaar saal as a, you know, sort of entry level professor.
He completed his PhD at SOAS, part of the University of London. Then I went and did my PhD, which was at the School of Oriental and African Studies, which is part of the University of London, and that was in political economy
His PhD was in political economy and focused on the class structure of Pakistan. that was in political economy, which I, my PhD was on the class structure of Pakistan.
His PhD thesis was published by Oxford University Press. That was then later published by Oxford University Press and it won an award, etc.
His PhD thesis won an award. That was then later published by Oxford University Press and it won an award, etc.
He says he completed his PhD in four years. PhD meri chaar saal mein khatam ho gayi thi.
He started teaching at LUMS before finishing his PhD. Uh, yeah, I was, I started teaching at LUMS before my PhD actually.
He took a break from LUMS to finish his PhD and then returned to LUMS. I took a break beech mein, finished my PhD and then came back to LUMS.
He says he joined LUMS in 2002. joined LUMS in, what is it, 2002? 20 saal ho gaye hain.
He has taught at LUMS for about 20 years. joined LUMS in, what is it, 2002? 20 saal ho gaye hain.
He says LUMS had no Humanities and Social Sciences school when he started teaching there. Jab humne padhana shuru kiya tha toh humanities and social sciences school nahi tha as such.
He says LUMS has become much larger over his time there. Toh it's changed in a big, it's become much larger, much bigger.
He describes political economy as the study of how a society's economic structure and political structure shape each other. it examines how the economic structure of a society impacts the political structure of a society and vice-versa.
He says classical economists such as Ricardo called themselves political economists. Ricardo, political economy. They were all called, they all used to call themselves political economists.
He says economics as a discipline began in the 1920s. economics is a very recent thing. It only started in the 1920s.
He says Adam Smith's book used the term political economy, not economics. Misal ke taur pe Adam Smith ne jo kitaab likhi toh usmein bhi usne lafz jo istemaal kiya woh economics nahi tha, political economy.
His PhD supervisor told him the work was a longitudinal study of Pakistan's class structure, not only about globalization. This is not just now about globalization, it's a, it's actually a longitudinal study of the class structure of Pakistan.
He first set out to understand globalization's impact on Pakistan. pehle main koshish kar raha tha ke globalization ko samjhoon. Aur globalization ka impact kya hai Pakistan pe?
The first part of his PhD examined Pakistan's class structure before the British. So in the first part of my PhD, I looked at, uh, what was the class structure before the British came.
The third part of his PhD covered Pakistan's political economy over the last 70 years. And in the third part, it was the political economy of Pakistan, ke yahan pe kaise develop hui in the last 70 odd years.
His father is a Marxist and his mother is a feminist. my father is a Marxist, my mother is a feminist, and and their friends are all left-wing people
He says Pakistan was not always a right-wing country and was very left-wing in the 1970s. In the 1970s, actually, Pakistan was a very left-wing country.
He says Pakistan had a left-wing prime minister in the 1970s. It had a left-wing prime minister.
He says Pakistan was under a religious right-wing dictatorship for 11 years. Phir 11 saal yahan pe extreme right-wing ki aur religious right-wing dictatorship rahi
He says he had never read Marx. Toh maine apni zindagi mein kabhi Marx nahi padha tha.
He read The Communist Manifesto one summer. maine one summer communist manifesto utha ke padh liya, padha
On campus, he was referred to as "that Pakistani Marxist". 'Oh, that Pakistani Marxist' jo campus mein phir raha hota hai.
He did a special independent study with a professor. So I did a special independent study with an amazing professor whose name was Brad Bateman.
He says a liberal arts college gave him access to literature he might not have studied in Pakistan. So I guess going to a liberal arts college actually gave me the sort of opportunity to study a lot of literature that I may not have studied if I were in Pakistan
He says Marx introduced a category called the Asiatic mode of production. Marx ne ek tasveer kheechi thi. He had this category called the 'Asiatic mode of production.'
He says land was not private property in the subcontinent until the British arrived. Yani ke yahan pe hamare bar-e-saghir ke andar land was not private property till the British came here.
He says the British introduced the Permanent Settlement Act in Bengal in 1793. When the British came here, in 1793, they introduced an act called the 'Permanent Settlement Act'. They introduced this first in Bengal.
He says the British introduced private landownership in Punjab in the 1860s. Aur yahan Punjab ke andar they introduced it in the 1860s, a century later.
He says the modern landed structure was introduced by the British, not the Mughals. this was introduced by the British, not by the Mughals.
He says a jagirdar was a cavalryman, not an agriculturalist. Jagirdar jo tha, woh Shahsawar Mansabdar tha. Iska matlab yeh hai ke he had a, he was a cavalryman.
He says the emperor assigned a jagir to a jagirdar for three to four years. badshah usko ek jagir appoint karta tha teen-chaar saal ke liye
He says the village economy was run by a caste system called biradri. The whole thing was run along by a caste system, jisko yahan pe hum biradri ka nizam kehte hain.
He says silk went to a jagirdar. Silk jo hai woh kisi jagirdar ko milta tha.
He argues capitalism evolved in Pakistan and India very differently from Europe. the way in which capitalism evolved in Pakistan, India is very different from the way in which it developed in Europe.
He calls the system the British created colonial capitalism, a hybrid of older and capitalist systems. Toh Asiatic mode of production, jagirdari nizam aur jo capitalist system hai un dono ka ek hybrid sa banaya jisko main kehta hoon colonial capitalism.
He says the colonial system lacked the capacity for growth. woh ek khichdi thi jismein growth ki capacity nahi thi.
He says India began to reach about 3 percent growth and Pakistan about 6 percent. Aur India ne 3% type hit karna shuru kar diya, Pakistan ne 6% type hit karna shuru kar diya.
He says the British built canals and railways for their own purposes, not as a favour. unhone dekhein yeh sab kuch banaya aur ehsaan toh nahi kiya kyunke unhone apne maqasid ke liye banaya.
He says his criticism is of the whole neoliberal framework, not only the IMF. Main to yeh keh raha hoon ke jo poori economic framework aur paradigm hai, Chicago school ka, neoliberalism ka, jo IMF pe dominate karta hai, that's the problem.
He says in some circumstances the state must enter business to fix the economy. even to the extent ke in certain circumstances the state needs to get into the business and fix the economy.
He says Pakistan did liberalize, including privatization and deregulation in the 1990s. In the 1990s privatization bhi hui hai, deregulation bhi hui hai, State Bank bhi autonomous hua
He says profit maximization is not the same as output or growth maximization. Profit maximizing ka point is not the same as growth maximizing or output maximizing.
He says output maximization is not the same as growth maximization. Output maximizing is not the same as growth maximizing.
He says not all commodities contribute equally to growth. So iska matlab hai ke God did not make all commodities equal.
He says raising production of capital goods raises both output and growth. Jo cheezein hain jin ko hum kehte hain capital goods, unki production agar aap barha denge to aapki output aur growth dono barhegi.
He says electricity is the first thing the economy needs for growth. First thing we need is bijli.
He says the economy cannot grow without electricity. Can't grow without electricity.
He says the government buys power that the private sector produces. Hukoomat khareed rahi hai, produce private sector kar raha hai.
He says only government, not the private sector, can fix the power crisis. You want to fix power? Government has to fix it. Private sector cannot fix it.
He says Pakistan lacks water management and should invest in hydropower. Aapke paas koi water management nahi. Hydropower!
He says provincial governments can build dams at all levels. you can have dams at all levels, the provincial government can do it.
He says Pakistan neglected rail in favour of roads and buses. Aapne railway ko ignore kiya aur aapne road infrastructure pe aur buses pe investment ki.
He says moving freight by bus costs at least ten times more than by rail. Ek ton jab aap bus pe move karte hain, it's like at least 10 times more expensive than moving it on rails.
He says the Railway Workers Union was the most powerful union in Pakistan. Railway Workers Union was the most powerful union in Pakistan.
He says the Nawaz government chose road development to end dependence on rail. Us se nikalne ke liye Nawaz government at that time said hum road infrastructure ko develop karenge, taake humein rail pe dependency khatam ho jaye.
He says Pakistan's road infrastructure is among the best in the region. Compared to India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, hamara one of the best road infrastructures hai.
He says China built a very large rail network over the last 20 years. China ne pichle 20 saalon mein itna railway ka infrastructure lagaya hai
He says goods should move by rail, while passenger tickets can be priced higher. Passengers ke liye aap ticket upar rakh lein, magar goods transport has to be through railways.
He says many small hydropower schemes are possible and largely overlooked. Itne-itne chhote-chhote hydropower ke producing cheezein hoti hain.
He says the army budget should be cut. Fauj ka budget kam karein. It's high time to talk about it.
He says the money saved should go into power, transport and engineering. If you want to pick up the economy, that money has to go now into developing power, into developing transport, into developing engineering.
He says Pakistan cannot make the best tools and imports them. woh jo best tools hain woh to baahar se aa rahe hain saare, yahan to hum bana hi nahi sakte unko.
He says a study finds that the form of ownership and management has no correlation with efficiency. Akbar Zaidi has a great study which shows that the form of ownership and management has no correlation with efficiency.
He says efficiency depends mainly on the technological foundation of production. Efficiency is totally correlated with one thing, every good economist should know this, although they don't say this, and that is the technological foundation of how you're running things.
He says government has greater scale than any Pakistani capitalist, despite being bankrupt. Government, despite being bankrupt, still has greater scale than any capitalist of Pakistan.