India on The Eve of Independence

  

Q1 . What was the focus of the economic policies pursued by the colonial government in India? What were the impacts of these policies?

Ans. The economic policies pursued by the colonial government in India were concerned more with the protection and promotion of the economic interests of their home country than with the development of the Indian Economy.

Impact of these policies 

(i) British rule ruined the agriculture sector and handicrafts and transformed India into a supplier of raw materials.

(ii) Indian agriculture was affected by colonial rule when the farmers were forced to grow commercial crops instead of food grains.

(iii) The British programmed systematic deindustrialization leading to the downfall of the handicraft industry, and with the lack of investment, other industries also failed to develop.

(iv) The money that Indian goods earned from foreign trade were not invested in the Indian economy; it was used for serving the British army and expanding their colonial reach across Asia.

2. Name some notable economists who estimated India’s per capita income during the colonial period.

Ans. The following economists estimated India’s per capita income during the colonial period:

Dadabhai Naoroji,R.C Desai,V.K.R.V. Rao,William Digby and Findlay Shirras

3. What were the main causes of India’s agricultural stagnation during the colonial period?

Ans. The agricultural stagnation during the colonial period was caused because of the following reasons: 

Land settlement system: The various systems of land settlement that were introduced by the colonial government were the major cause of agricultural stagnation during colonial rule in India. 

2. Revenue settlement: The terms of the revenue settlement were also responsible for the zamindars to adopt aggressive attitude towards farmers. The British fixed the dates to deposit specified sum of revenue, failing which the zamindars were to lose their rights. 

low levels of technology, lack of irrigation facilities and negligible use of fertilizers etc., were also responsible for stagnation of agricultural sector during colonial rule.

4. Name some modern industries which were in operation in our country at the time of independence.

Ans. Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) was set up in 1907. some other industries like sugar, cement, chemical and paper industries came up after the second world war.

5. What was the two-fold motive behind the systematic deindustrialisation affected by the British in pre-independent India?

Ans. De-industrilisation refers to the process of social and economic change caused by the removal or reduction of industrial capacity or activity in a country or region. The two-fold motive behind the systematic deindustrialisation affected by the British in pre-independent India -

(i) to buy raw materials from India at cheap rate and thus to reduce India to the status of a mere exporter of raw materials to the British modern industries.

(ii) to sell British manufactured goods in Indian market at higher prices

6. The traditional handicrafts industries were ruined under British rule. Do you agree with this view? Give reasons in support of your answer.

Ans. Yes, the traditional handicraft industry was ruined under British rule. The following points are in agreement with this statement:

1. The British had introduced a discriminatory tariff policy. This led to a high export tariff on Indian-made goods, which made the price of products high in international markets, leading to less demand for Indian-made goods. Consequently, this ended up ruining the handicraft industry.

2. As Britain began importing duty-free goods from Britain to India, the demand for locally made goods started decreasing as the mechanically produced goods were much cheaper. This resulted in ruining the market for handicrafts.

3. The princely states of India used to provide patronage to local art and handicraft, but during British rule, the princely states were ruined by the East India Company, which thus resulted in a decrease in demand for Indian-made goods. Indian handicrafts gradually lost their market and diminished.

7. What objectives did the British intend to achieve through their policies of infrastructure development in India?

Ans. During the British rule the basic infrastructure which developed were railways, water, transport, ports, post and telegraph etc. However the main motive of British rulers to develop infrastructure in India were 

(i) To protect their colonial interests 

(ii) To earn profits through foreign trade by linking railways with majors ports and the marketing centres.

(iii) To invest British funds in India to make profits

(iv) To buy raw materials from India and sell finished goods in India

8. Critically appraise some of the shortfalls of the industrial policy pursued by the British colonial administration.

Ans. The industrial policy followed by the British government suffered from the following shortfalls 

(i) Decay of handicraft industry

(ii) Bleak growth of modern industry

(iii) Lack of capital goods industries 

(iv) Limited area of operation of public sector

9. What do you understand by the drain of Indian wealth during the colonial period?

Ans - Drain of wealth refers to the use of large export surplus of India for Britain. it is clear from the following 

(i) The surplus was used to make payments towards the expenditure incurred by the office set up by the colonial government in Britain

(ii) The surplus was used to pay war expenditure fought by the British government

(iii) The surplus was spent to import invisible items.

10. Which is regarded as the defining year to mark the demographic transition from its first to the second decisive stage?

The year 1921 is regarded as the defining year. After 1921, India’s population growth was consistent.

11. Give a quantitative appraisal of India’s demographic profile during the colonial period.

The demographic profile of India during the colonial period is as follows:

1. The Birth Rate was high at 48 per thousand and the Death Rate at 40 per thousand, respectively.

2. Infant Mortality Rate was 218 per thousand, which is very high.

3. Life Expectancy rate was 32 years on average.

4. The literacy rate was below 16 per cent, which shows the backwardness of the society.

12. Highlight the salient features of India’s pre-independence occupational structure.

Ans. It refers to the distribution of the workforce among the different sectors of the economy. The following points define India’s occupational structure at the time of pre-independence:

(i) Predominance of agricultural sector over manufacturing and service sector

(ii) Regional variation - Though agricultural sector was the major sector in terms of share of workforce absorbed in it, still there were regional variations. Parts of then Madras Presidency, Bombay Presidency and Bengal Presidency witnessed a decline in the workforce in agriculture sector and showed increase in manufacturing and service sectors. 

13. Underscore some of India’s most crucial economic challenges at the time of independence.

Ans. Crucial challenges at the time of independence are as follows:

1. Low Agricultural Output was one factor which was due to the colonial impact on the country. Only items that were of monetary importance to the government were grown

2. Low level of industrialisation and decline in handmade products

3. Low levels of national income and per capita income

4. A low standard of living, low expectancy and high infant mortality rate

5. High level of unemployment and gross underemployment

14. When was India’s first official census operation undertaken?

Ans. It was completed in the year 1881 under British Viceroy Lord Mayo.

15. Indicate the volume and direction of trade at the time of independence.

Ans. Prior to independence, India had exclusive trade relations with other countries of Asia and Europe. its exports were cotton textile, silk, wheat, rice, precious stones, spices, indigo etc. Imports consisted of pearls, wool, dates, dry fruits, glass, steel, copper, perfumes etc. Its exports were more than imports. it had a large export surplus. however British maintained monoply control over India's foreign trade. more than half of India's foreign trade was with Britain.

16. Were there any positive contributions made by the British in India? Discuss.

Ans. The following are the contributions made by the British in India:

(i) The commercialisation of Agriculture was an important point in Indian agriculture history. It helped achieve self-sufficiency in food grain production. 

(ii) Development of infrastructure

(iii) The establishment of railways helped to connect people to distant places and also increased the business of the people due to the expansion of the geographical horizons.

(iv) The promotion of the English language helped connect with the outside world and allowed India to become a part of the global diaspora.

(v) There was a marked improvement in the monetary system and production due to the division of labour.