Question

What were Indian farmer revelent to grow opium?

Answer 1

The group had to be grown on the best land, on fields that lay near villages and were well manured. On this land, villagers usually produced pulses. If they planted opium on this land, pulses could not be grown there.

Many cultivators owned no land. To cultivate, they had to pay rent to the landlord for the lease land. And the rent charged on good land near the villages was very high.

The cultivation of opium was a difficult process. The plant was delicate and the cultivators had to spend long hours in nurturing it.

The price government paid to the cultivators for opium was very low. It was unprofitable for cultivators to grow opium at that price

Answer 2

i) Opium cropping had to be done on the best fields, fields which otherwise were used for growing pulses. The farmers were unwilling to sacrifice the quality and cultivation of pulses for the sake of opium.

(ii) Cultivation of opium was labour intensive. The plant was delicate and needed lot of nurturing.

(iii) Many cultivators owned no land. To cultivate they had to lease lands at high rents from landowners.

(iv) The price which the government paid was low therefore it was an unprofitable proposition for the farmers.