This is not correct, Calcutta was some villages where it happened to be convenient for the east india company to set up shop: "The area where the city is now l

This is not correct, Calcutta was some villages where it happened to be convenient for the east india company to set up shop: "The area where the city is now located was originally inhabited by the people of three villages: Kalikata, Sutanuti and Gobindapur." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Kolkata https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Kolkata Delhi on the other hand was a great city, many times over (and sacked, and re-built, by rules of many tongues). But it's also important to know that when we say an ancient place was rich, we mean that the kings were rich & built big palaces etc. Peasants were poor everywhere in the pre-industrial world, with variations but not enormous ones, like the difference between 500 and 1000 USD/year. When we say that a modern place is rich, we mean the average guy instead. And, sometimes, that their city is well-run and finds money to spend on public services etc. Which, in my understanding, Calcutta has not been in the last 50 years, compared to other Indian cities. However I would still bet that the median income has increased monotonically.