Explain poor stste of industrial sector during british rule
Answers
Explanation:
On setting foot in India, the Britishers were looking to cripple out the blooming industrial phase. With this in mind, they eyed the aforesaid industries. In effect, they chalked out a plan to decentralize these flourishing industries. This de-centralization served two purposes.
Firstly, Indian export volume was made dominant with raw materials directed to Britain. Effectively, from a prominent exporter of manufactured handicraft items, India was reduced to a mere exporter of raw materials. Secondly, this ensured that there was a low level of local supply to meet Indian demands for finished goods. Hence, India was forced to turn towards British to meet its demands.
Industrial Sector
Furthermore, the downfall of aforesaid industries gave rise to large-scale unemployment. Interestingly, colonials shrewdly erased this unemployment, identically born as a result of their policies, by offering employment for working in tea, coffee, indigo plantations and jute industries, completely owned by the colonials. At the same time, increased local demand was being profitably met by the British imports.
During the second half nineteenth century, the modern industry began taking shape in India at a very slow pace. The notable ones are cotton and jute textile industries. However, the cotton industries confined to western parts of India were controlled by Indians. Whereas, the jute textile industries, controlled by foreigners, were limited to the Eastern part (Bengal).
Further, some other industries started coming up after the second world war for example- sugar, paper, cement, steel, and iron industry. Notably, 1907 saw the incorporation of the Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO).
Other Factors
Also, there was a dearth of capital goods industries. These industries are responsible for producing machines which in turn produce consumption goods. In essence, these are essential from the manufacturing point of view. Although there was an establishment of some units, the slow development could never fill the void of the textile industry.
This coupled with minimal operation of the public sector ( railways, power generation, communications, ports and some other departmental undertakings) defined the sorry state of Indian industrial sector under the British.
Image result for plantations in india in 19th century
The Colonials continued pacifying their interests by setting up industries like jute, tea, coffee plantations etc. taking advantage of a rich geographical diversity of their colony. Conclusively, the British exploitation spread rapidly to all sectors of India and the industrial sector was among the ones worst affected.