British Imperialism:- Effects on Indian industry
A quote by R.C Dutt, an Indian poet .
Taxation raised by the king is like the moisture sucked up by the sun to be returned to earth as fertilizing rain; But the moisture raised from the Indian soil now descends as fertilizing rain largely on other lands, not in India.
At the end of 18th century and the beginning of 19th century Industrial revolution transformed the way goods were produced in Europe. It made it possible to produce goods on a massive scale compared to handicraft and hand loom industries. The industrialists driven by greed for money soon ran out of raw material and market to sell their finished goods in. This dual need was served by the colonies acquired by them. Thus, the rush to acquire new colonies for selling their finished goods and sourcing raw materials from, began.
In India, during the same period as the Industrial revolution, the British East India company made its mark as a political power at The Battle of Plassey in 1757 and at the Battle of Buxor in 1764. It acquired Bengal and established it’s rule from Calcutta.
Before we go any further we need to know about the Indian industry before the start of British rule. Indian handicrafts industry and production of objects of art were famous through out the world. It’s cotton, silk and woolen products were sought after all over the world. Besides textiles, India was also known for shipping, leather and metal industries.
Despite being famous, Indian handicrafts industry began to fall at the beginning of 18th century. The policy of mercantilism adopted by the British was the principle reason. Strategies were devised by Britain to enhance the consumption of finished goods from it. They encouraged the production of raw materials, while simultaneously imposing restrictions on domestic finished goods. For example, in 1835 only a minimal import duty of 2.5 % was levied on cotton cloth from Britain, whereas an export duty of 15 % was charged on the Indian cotton textiles. Further more, goods from England can be brought only in England cargo ships ( This same principle was also used in other British colonies such as America). As a result, Indian goods could not enter the British market while British goods flooded the Indian market.
For example, Mushirabad (West Bengal), which rose to prominence as a center for silk , declined in the course of century as the weavers faced competition from cheap mill-made cloth from Britain.
Thus, the import of finished goods from England also increased with the simultaneous export of raw materials from India. In England the ruin of the old hand loom weavers was accompanied by the growth of the machine industry. But in India the ruin of the millions of artisans and craftsmen was not accompanied by any alternative growth of new industrial forms. This lead to a massive loss of jobs.
Further reading:- Poverty and UnBritish Rule in India, Dadabhai Naoroji
