Question

Questions.
1.Explain the features of Indian economy on the eve of independence.
2.Explain the factors responsible for backwardness of agricultural sector during British period.
3.Explain land revenue system.
4. Define commercialisation of agricultural and explain its drawbacks.​

Answer 1

Explanation:

Under the British colonial rule, India was fundamentally an agrarian economy and nearly 85% of its population lived in its villages. However, despite providing occupation to the majority of the population, the Indian agricultural sector continued to experience stagnation. Some of the major factors responsible for this stagnation or backwardness were:

Land Settlement System: This system introduced by the colonial government was known as the zamindari system.Under the zamindari system, the profits which were generated went to the zamindars instead of the cultivators. Also, zamindars had fixed dates for depositing of a specific sum of revenue to the government. If the zamindars failed to pay by these dates, they would lose their rights. Thus, the zamindars would frequently raise the rates and exploit farmers.

Commercialisation of Agriculture: Commercialisation of agriculture means the shift from cultivation for self-consumption to cultivation for the market. Here, farmers were forced to sell their produce in the market.Farmers were forced to produce cash crops which were used by British industries.

Low Productivity: Low levels of technology, lack of basic irrigation facilities, use of low quality and negligible fertilisers affected agricultural productivity. The cultivators had no money or incentive to invest in agriculture.

Lack of Investment: India’s agricultural sector faced scarcity of investment. The zamindars and the colonial government did nothing to improve the agricultural sector. The farmers neither had the money, technology nor incentive to invest in agriculture.

Q4.

Commercialisation of agriculture means the shift from cultivation for self-consumption to cultivation for the market. Here, farmers were forced to sell their produce in the market.Farmers were forced to produce cash crops which were used by British industries.

The drawbacks were that commercialisation led to increase in investment cost for poor farmers and India faced shortage of foodgrains, resources and technology.