Question

How did the import policy of the British affect different categories of people in Bengal?

Answer 1

Instructions:

To write the answer, describe how farmers were affected​. Elaborate on the following points

• Forced to grow commercial crops in place of food crops.​
• Raw materials exported to England.​
• Loss of land​ as a result.

Describe how weavers and craftsmen were affected​.

• Export of raw materials​.
• Import of cheap textiles​.
• High taxes on Indian goods​.

Solution:

The EIC once in control in Bengal introduced new laws and measures which turned several sections of the society jobless and in debt. Some of the measures responsible for this were:​

• The British forced the Indian farmers to grow commercial crops such as cotton, jute and indigo which they exported to England. As a result, the farmers soon became landless and worked as labours for the British.​
  
• Majority of the raw materials were shipped to England leaving weavers and craftsmen with very little raw material to work with.
  ​
• The British imported cheap textiles made in the factories in Britain back to India, resulting in a significant fall in the demand for Indian made textiles.​
  
• The British imposed high taxes on the goods made by the craftsmen in India, leaving many weavers and craftsmen jobless and in debt.