Assertion (A) : There were many good reasons for avoiding technological innovation or any form of mechanization of Indian manufactures in medieval India.
Reason (R) : As any innovation implied a measure of risk and some investment of capital, the Indian workman living on the margin of subsistence had hardly any means to undertake it. In such a situation only a limited technological innovation initiated by the state or by the profit-seeking merchant could be expected.
Code :
Assertion (A) states that there were significant reasons to avoid technological innovation or mechanization in medieval Indian manufactures. This statement is considered correct as historical context often shows resistance to major technological shifts in traditional economies.
Reason (R) suggests that the primary obstacle was the inherent risk and need for capital investment associated with innovation. It highlights that the average Indian workman, often living at a mere subsistence level, lacked the resources to undertake such risks. Consequently, only state-sponsored or merchant-driven innovation was feasible.
The reason provided in (R) offers a valid economic and social explanation for the situation described in (A). The constraints faced by the individual workman due to risk aversion and lack of capital directly relate to the avoidance of technological advancements.
Therefore, the correct option aligns with (A) being correct and (R) partly explaining (A).