Question

explain the two types of indigo cultivation introduced by the British planters​

Answer 1

Answer:

Explanation:

Indigo cultivation was done mainly under one of the two systems known as ‘nij’ and ‘ryoti’. The main difference between these two was that under nij cultivation, the planter grew indigo only in the land which he directly controlled.

It was difficult to expand area under nij cultivation, because indigo could be cultivated only on fertile land, and almost all fertile lands were occupied with food grains and other crops that Indians needed. So the planters tried to remove peasants from the areas near indigo factories, which naturally led to tension and conflicts.

Another problem was of labour availability; huge indigo plantations needed many labourers, and that too in the same season when peasants were busy cultivating rice, their staple diet.

Lastly, cultivating indigo also needed a large number of ploughs and bullocks, which either the poor farmers didn't have, or were busy in the rice fields.

Under the ryoti system, indigo planters forced the ryots (cultivators), and sometimes even influenced the village headmen on behalf of the ryots, to sign a contract, an agreement called satta, in which those who signed got cash advances at low rates of interest to cultivate indigo on their fields. The seed and the drill were provided by the planters, and the cultivators had to prepare the soil, sow the seeds, and look after the crop.

When the crop was harvested and delivered to the planter, a new loan was given to the ryot, and the cycle started all over again. Peasants who were initially tempted by the loans soon realised how harsh the system was; the price they got for the indigo they produced was very low and the cycle of loans never ended.

There were other problems too. The planters usually insisted that indigo be cultivated on the best soils in which peasants preferred to cultivate their main food grain, rice. Indigo, moreover, had deep roots. So it exhausted the soil rapidly and the land could not be sown with rice soon after an indigo harvest.