Eve of independence Flashcards
Describe economy before british rule
Prosperous economy
Agrarian economy (Main source- agriculture)
Well known for handicraft industries
What was the case during british rule
Agrarian Economy
Exploitative British Policies
Deindustrialization
Supplier of Raw Materials
Market for British Goods
Development of Infrastructure (for British interests)
Widespread Poverty and Unemployment
Low Literacy and Poor Health Conditions
Stagnant and Underdeveloped Economy
Agricultural sector during British rule
Economy was rural and agricultural in character
85% of country’s population dependent
Not self sufficient
Main reasons for stagnation in agricultural sector
1- Land settlement system (Zammindari system, lagaan, If lagaan not paid then Land was to be disowned.)
2- Commercialisation of agriculture- Cash crops instead of food crops which led to rise in the cost of foor grains.
3- Low level of productivity- Lack of irrigation facilities, No proper farming methods
4- Scarcity of investments- Max farmers were small farmers and tenants.
Adverse effects of Partition
A sizeable portion of the undivided India’s highly irrigated and fertile land went to Pakistan
Jute producing area went to Bangladesh.
Describe the poor state of Industrial sector during the british rule.
1- Decline of the handicraft industries
2- Due to point 1, High level of unemployment and growth in import of finished goods.
3- Lack of capital good industries to promote industrialization
4- Very low contribution to GDP
5- Limited role of public sector.
Describe the modern industries opening during independence
Industries start to establish
Cotton textiles and jute mills set up
cotton textile in Gujarat and Maharashtra
Jute mills in Bengal
Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) in 1907
Other ones like Sugar cement and paper start after the second world war.
What was the state of India’s foreign trade during the british rule?
Exporter of primary products and importer of finished goods
Monopoly control of finished goods
Drain of Indian wealth during british rule
Write a short note on suez canal
Artificial waterway running from north to south across The isthmus of suez in north east egypt
Opened in 1869
Reduced transportation cost
Easy access to the indian market
Direct trade between India and Britain
Strategically and economically a very important waterway
Write a short note on Year of great divide.
1921 is known as the year of great divide
Before 1921 High birth rate high death rate
After 1921 High birth rate Low death rate
After this the population never declined and there was a consistent rise
Describe the Demographic conditions during the colonial rule
High birth and death rates
Extremely low literacy rates
Poor health facilities
High infant mortality rates
Low life expectancy
Widespread poverty
Define the occupational structure
Refers to the distribution of work force in primary secondary and tertiary sector.
Primary- Exploitation of natural resources
Secondary- Transforming of one good into another
Tertiary- Service providing sector
70 to 75% primary
10% secondary
15-20% Tertiary
Define the infrastructure during the colonial rule
Refers to the activities and services needed to provide different kinds of service in an economy.
Roads- Due to scarcity of funds, no proper roads
Built for army and shifting raw materials
People living in rural suffered badly
Railways- In 1850 Britishers introduced railways in India.
enabled people to take long distance journeys.
enhanced commercialization of Indian agriculture
Air and water transport- Took measures but was far from satisfactory
Communication- Posts and telegraphs were most important.
The most expensive electric telegraph served the purpose of maintaining law and order
postal services remained inadequate
List down the positive contributions of the british rule
Growth in agricultural sector
Better means of transportation
Check on famines
Shift to monetary economy
Effective administrative setup
