Question

Give any two examples to indicate that the British followed the policy of economic exploitation in India.

Answer 1

Economic exploitation was experienced by various sections of the Indian society. The economic discontent of different sections of society was as follows:

i) The peasants: The government took away a large part of their produce in the form of land revenue and other taxes. Many peasants lost their land. Whatever revenue was generated was not spend on the development of agriculture or on the welfare of the cultivator. Increase in land revenue forced many peasants into indebtedness or into selling their lands.

ii) The artisans and craftsmen: India became a source of raw materials for the industries of Britain and a market for its finished products. By the midde of the 19th century , export of cotton and silk goods practically stopped. The artisans who earned their livelihood by weaving and spinning had become unemployed.