Question

the state where the British had monopoly over opium trade? by 1773,In bengal

Answer 1

During the Mughal period no attempt was made to encourage or restrict the cultivation of opium. The chief centers of production were Bihar in Bengal. By the middle of the 18th century Bihar had become the province in which opium of the best quality and greatest quantity was produced. In the anarchy of the period, the Government monopoly had fallen into abeyance. Bengal was the principal area for cultivation of the poppy. As the price of this variety began to increase at an alarming rate, they turned their attention to Bengal opium. The poppy was grown for opium in the Punjab to a limited extent, but it had been decided to entirely abolish the cultivation there within a short time. The cultivation of the poppy was also carried on in Afghanistan, Kashmir, Nepal and the Shan states of Burma, but the areas and production are not known.