explain the India's agriculture condition during the colonial rule
Answers
Answer:
During the pre-British era, a major part of India’s population was dependent on agriculture. The farming technologies and irrigation facilities were not satisfactory. However, agriculture in villages was self-sustaining and independent.
The village communities either purchased or consumed the raw materials and articles directly. Consequently, starvations and famines were rare if not frequent. Of course, agricultural practices remained primitive, but the villages functioned independently and were self-sufficient. All of this went for a toss when the Britishers set feet on the Indian subcontinent.
The Colonial Saga
Britishers were keen on establishing a monopoly in India. They saw India as a means to drive their home country towards a state of unmatched power. Colonisers drew out every ounce of Indian resource and every drop of Indian blood for their selfish motives. Such was the state of exploitation.
During the British rule also the Indian economy remained agrarian. Rough estimates claim that about 85% of the economy derived their livelihood directly or indirectly from agriculture. Though, unlike the pre-colonial India, the feature of self-sufficiency vanished in the colonial state. This led to various famines which the colonizers paid no heed to provided it didn’t affect their profit margins. Effectively, the agricultural sector continued to experience deterioration and stagnation, particularly marked by low levels of agricultural productivity.