Economically, one of the results of the British rule in India in the 19th century was the? Increase in the export of Indian handicrafts? commercialization of Indian agriculture? [2018]

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

increase in the export of Indian handicrafts
growth in the number of Indian owned factories
commercialization of Indian agriculture
rapid increase in the urban population

Explanation

Option (c) is correct

The East India Company (EIC), originally focused on exporting Indian textiles, shifted to exporting agricultural products due to competition with British cotton mills (which could not compete with British products and might serve as raw materials for British industry). They capitalised on trade by promoting commercial crops like indigo, cotton, raw silk, opium, pepper, tobacco, and, in the 19th century, tea and sugar. This commercialisation impoverished Indian farmers, as profits flowed to moneylenders and merchants instead. It also destabilised agriculture by exposing cultivators to international market fluctuations, leading to suffering during price drops, as seen in the late 1860s when falling cotton prices contributed to the Deccan riots.

A circular infographic illustrates the economic impact of British rule with seven labeled segments, each featuring an icon and description. Key points include limited growth of modern industries, commercialization of agriculture, poverty and famine, ruin of old zamindars and rise of new landlordism, stagnation of agriculture, impoverishment of peasantry, and ruin of artisans and craftsmen.