Consider the following statements. 1. Unlike in the case of agricultu...
- As in the case of agriculture, so also in manufacturing, India could not develop a sound industrial base under colonial rule. Even as the country’s world famous handicraft industries declined, no corresponding modern industrial base was allowed to come up to take pride of place so long enjoyed by the former.
- The primary motive of the colonial government behind this policy of systematically industrialisation India was two-fold. The intention was, first, to reduce India to the status of a mere exporter of important raw materials for the upcoming modern industries in Britain and, second, to turn India into a sprawling market for the finished products of those industries so that their continued expansion could be ensured to the maximum advantage of their home country - Britain.
- In the unfolding economic scenario, the decline of the indigenous handicraft industries created not only massive unemployment in India but also a new demand in the Indian consumer market, which was now deprived of the supply of locally made goods.
Consider the following statements. 1. Unlike in the case of agricultu...
Explanation:
Statement 1: Unlike in the case of agriculture, India developed a sound industrial base under the colonial rule in the manufacturing sector.
This statement is incorrect. During the colonial rule, India's industrial base was not developed soundly. The British colonial government focused on exploiting India's resources for the benefit of Britain rather than developing industries in India. The British policies were designed to extract raw materials from India and export finished goods from Britain to India. This led to the deindustrialization of India and the decline of traditional handicraft industries.
The British colonial government imposed heavy taxes on Indian industries, which made them uncompetitive against imported British goods. As a result, many Indian industries, particularly the handicraft industries, declined. The British also discouraged the development of modern industries in India as they feared competition with British industries.
Statement 2: Handicraft industries declined but the corresponding modern industrial base in other sectors was allowed to expand.
This statement is also incorrect. As mentioned earlier, the handicraft industries declined under the colonial rule due to British policies. However, the British also did not allow the corresponding modern industrial base in other sectors to expand. They imposed restrictions on the establishment of modern industries in India and discouraged indigenous industrial development.
The British wanted to maintain India as a supplier of raw materials and a market for British manufactured goods. They did not want India to compete with British industries. Therefore, they discouraged the development of modern industries in India and instead focused on exporting finished goods from Britain to India.
Overall, both statements are incorrect. Under colonial rule, India's industrial base was not developed soundly, and the decline of handicraft industries was not compensated by the expansion of modern industries in other sectors. The colonial policies focused on exploiting India's resources rather than promoting industrial development.