Question

what is the impact of British policies on Indian industry?

Answer 1

The British policies affected the Indian industries negatively.

• In 1720, the British government enacted a legislation prohibiting the use of printed cotton textiles, worried by the popularity of Indian textiles, wool, and silk makers in England. Very high duties were imposed on Indian textiles imported into Britain and as such, the Indian textile lost out on a major market.
• The British exported raw materials from India and imported finished goods like textiles into the Indian market, draining the coffers here.
• The smelting industry also suffered a tremendous setback with the introduction of the forest laws. The smelters were not able to access iron ore from the forests and the industry that was widely acclaimed for products like Wootz steel, died over a period of time.