Indian Eco. On Eve Of Independence Flashcards
Where and when was the foundation of British Empire laid in India?
it was laid by Battle of Plassey, fought in 1757
What was the main purpose of British Rule in India?
the main purpose was to use Indian economy as feeder economy for British economic development
Before the advent of British rule, what were the characteristics of Indian economy?
- prosperous economy
- agrarian economy
- well known handicraft industries
What were the main handicraft industries of India?
cotton and silk textiles, metal and precious stone works. it had reputation of fine quality material and high standards of craftmanship
Meaning of Colonialism
it refers to the system of political and social relations btwn two countries of which one is the ruler and other is its colony. ruling country has no political control over colony but determines economic policies
Describe attempts of estimation of India’s per capita and national income during British rule?
- no sincere attempt by british govt
- individual attempts made by Dadabhai Naoroji, William Digby, V.K.R.V Rao etc - inconsistent
- estimates of Dr. Rao - significant
- growth of aggregate output during first half of 20th century was less than 2%
- per capita income growth was 0.5%
Who attempted to estimate India’s national and per capita income?
Dadabhai Naoroji, William Digby, Findlay Shirras, V.K.R.V Rao, R.C. Desai
What was per capita and national growth in the first half of 20th century?
per capita income growth - 0.5%
national income growth - less than 2%
Condition of agricultural sector during British period
- overwhelmingly rural and agricultural
- 85% lived in villages and had occupations relating to agriculture
- country was not self sufficient in food and raw materials for industry
Main reasons for stagnation in agricultural sector
1) land settlement system
2) commercialization of agri
3) scarcity of investment
4) low level of productivity
Explain land settlement system
- zamindari system stagnated the economy
- profits went to zamindars in form of lagaan
- zamindar’s main interest-collect lagaan regardless of economic condition
- dates for depositing specific sums of lagaan to british govt was fixed
- nothing was done to improve agri condition
Explain commercialization of agriculture
- meaning- production of crops for sale in the market rather than for self consumption
- farmers were given higher price for cash crops like cotton and jute - used by british comp
- did not improve economic condition
- british rule promoted shifting of crops from food to cash crops
How did commercialization of agriculture lead to famines?
- british industrialists were in need of raw materials like cotton, jute, sugarcane
- farmers produced cash crops cuz high prices were offered
- farmers had to purchase food from shops in towns\
- fall in production of food crops led to frequent famines
Explain scarcity of investment
- india was facing scarcity of inv in terracing, flood control and drainage
- although cropping patterns changed, a large section of tenants, small farmers and sharecroppers had no resources/tech/incentive
What is sharecropping?
form of agri in which the landowner allows tenant to use the land in return for a share of the crops produced on their portion of land
What were the adverse effects of partition on agricultural sector?
- partition led to further setback
- sizeable portion of highly irrigated and fertile land went to Pakistan
- almost whole of jute producing area went to Bangladesh
- jute goods industry of India suffered
Which industry in india enjoyed world monopoly?
jute goods industry
What were the effects of British rule on industrial sector?
1) de-industrialization - decline of handicraft industry
2) adverse effects of decline of handicraft industry
3) lack of capital goods industries
4) low contribution to GDP
5) limited role of public sector
What were the primary motives behind de industrialization?
- to get raw materials from India at cheap rates to use in industries
- to sell finished products of British industries to Indian markets at higher prices
What was the main reason for decline of India’s renowned handicraft industry?
discriminatory tariff policy
What did the discriminatory tariff policy implement?
it allowed free export of raw materials from India
it allowed free import of final goods of British industry to India
heavy duty was imposed on export of Indian handicrafts
How did decline of handicraft industry affect Indian economy?
- high level of unemployment
* import of finished goods