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

1. A. increase in the export of Indian handicrafts
2. B. growth in the number of Indian owned factories
3. C. commercialization of Indian agriculture
4. D. rapid inrease in the urban population

Answer: C

Explanation

Economic Impact of British rule- 1. Deindustrialisation – Ruin of artisans and handicraftsmen: cheap and machine made goods imports flooded the Indian market after the Charter Act of 1813 allowing one-way free trade for British citizens. On the other hand, Indian products found it more and more difficult to penetrate the European markets. After 1820, European markets were virtually closed to Indian exports. Even the newly introduced rail network helped the European products to reach the remotest corners of the country. Hence, option (a) is not correct. Another feature of deindustrialisation was the decline of many cities and a process of ruralisation of India. Many artisans, faced with diminishing returns and repressive policies of the Company abandoned their professions and moved to villages and took to agriculture. This resulted in increased pressure on land. An overburdened agriculture sector was a major cause of poverty overburdened agriculture sector was a major cause of poverty during British rule and this upset the village economic set-up. Hence, option (d) is not correct. 2. Impoverishment of Peasantry – The Govt. was only interested in maximisation of rents and in securing its share of revenue , had enforced the Permanent Settlement in large parts. Transferability of land was one feature of the new settlement which caused great insecurity to the tenants who lost all their traditional rights in land. 3. Development of Modern Industries – It was only in the second half of 19th Century that modern machine based industries started coming up in India. The first cotton textile mill was started in 1853 in Bombay by Cowasjee Nanabhoy and the first jute mill came up in 1855 in Rishra (Bengal). But most of the industries were foreign owned and controlled by British managing agencies. Hence, option (b) is not correct. 4. Commercialisation of Indian Agriculture – In the latter half of the 19th century, another significant trend was the emergence of the commercialisation of agriculture. Agriculture began to be influenced by commercial considerations. Certain specialised crops began to be grown not for consumption in the village but for sale in the national and even international markets. Commercial crops like cotton, jute, groundnut, oilseeds, sugarcane, tobacco, etc. were more remunerative than foodgrains. Hence, option (c) is correct.