Question 1 from UPSC CSE 2018 - Modern History

Question

Economically, one of the results of the British rule in India in the 19th century was the

Accepted Answer

Correct Option: C. commercialization of Indian agriculture

Strategy: *   Analyze each option based on major trends of the 19th-century colonial economy.
*   Eliminate options contradicting historical economic realities:
    *   British trade policies caused a decline, not a rise, in Indian handicraft exports (eliminating option a).
    *   Indian-owned factory growth was limited, beginning late in the century and remaining minor compared to British establishments (eliminating option b).
    *   Urban populations did not increase rapidly; deindustrialization fueled rural migration instead (ruling out option d).
*   Identify the commercialization of Indian agriculture as the correct choice, due to its well-documented role in promoting cash crops for export and national markets (identifying option c).

Key Info: Under British rule in the 19th century, India experienced profound economic changes:

*   **Indian Handicrafts and Deindustrialization**
    British policies, especially after the Charter Act of 1813, allowed unrestricted British imports. This led to a decline in Indian handicrafts and deindustrialization, as European machine-made goods outcompeted traditional crafts. The result was mass unemployment among artisans and a loss of Indian export and even domestic markets for textiles, once globally dominant.

*   **Indian-Owned Factories**
    Modern industries, such as cotton and jute mills (the first textile mill in 1853 in Bombay, first jute mill in 1855 in Bengal), did emerge in the later 19th century. However, these were exceptions, with most factories being British-owned or managed. Limited Indian enterprise characterized the period until the early 20th century.

*   **Urban Population Trends**
    Rather than rapid urban growth, British rule led to 'ruralisation'--artisan displacement caused rural migration. The decline of handicrafts and lack of industrial job growth forced many to adopt agriculture, increasing pressure on rural land instead of stimulating urbanization.

*   **Commercialization of Indian Agriculture**
    A defining feature was the forced shift towards cash crops. British needs for industrial raw materials and trade profits drove peasants to grow cotton, jute, indigo, opium, and other cash crops instead of subsistence food grains. This trend accelerated after the mid-19th century with expanded railways and new markets, but resulted in food insecurity, poverty, and famines, as peasant producers became tied to global market fluctuations and price volatility.

*   **Permanent Settlement and Revenue Policies**
    Land revenue systems like the Permanent Settlement sought to maximize state revenues. These policies further exacerbated agricultural pressure and turned land into a commodity subject to transfer, often to absentee landlords or moneylenders.

*   **Legacy**
    The commercialization of agriculture marked a major transformation in village life and agrarian structure, integrating rural India into global capitalist markets with often negative social and economic effects for the peasantry.

Answer

Option A: increase in the export of Indian handicrafts

Answer

Option B: growth in the number of Indian-owned factories

Answer

Option D: rapid increase in the urban population