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Question

What was the main reason for the "deindustrialization" during the Company period?

The correct answer is
Indian markets were flooded with cheap machine made goods from England.

Company Period Deindustrialization: Key Reason

Deindustrialization during the British Company period refers to the decline and eventual collapse of industries in India, particularly traditional handicrafts and manufacturing. This process significantly altered India's economic structure.

Analyzing the Options

The question asks for the main reason behind this deindustrialization:

  • Option 1: Suggests Indian handicrafts failed to cope. While true, it doesn't state the primary cause of that failure.
  • Option 2: Identifies the flooding of Indian markets with cheap, machine-made goods from England. This directly addresses the impact of the Industrial Revolution in Britain on Indian industries. British manufactured goods, produced cheaply and in large quantities, could undercut and outcompete local Indian products.
  • Option 3: Mentions the lack of patronage from Indian rulers. While patronage was important, the economic impact of British goods was a more dominant and widespread factor during this specific period.
  • Option 4: Relates to the disappearance of local landholders. This is a socio-economic change but not the direct cause of industrial decline.

Conclusion on Deindustrialization Cause

The most significant factor driving deindustrialization was the influx of inexpensive, factory-produced goods from Britain. This overwhelmed local markets and made it impossible for traditional Indian artisans and industries to compete, leading to their decline.

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Important Questions from Decline of Industries

  1. The debate as to whether the Indian economy under the British rule was characterised by growth or stagnation or progressive impoverishment has not yet come to an end. What is the major reason for the inconclusive character of the debate?

  2. Whose ‘open letters’ on the Indian economy to Lord Curzon forced the British Indian government to publish an official rebuttal and also initiate reformatory economic measures?

  3. The drain theory had an important role in the rise of economic nationalism in colonial India. Which statement is FALSE about the theory?

  4. Who is the author of the book 'Poverty and Un-British Rule'?

  5. In the year 1929, the agricultural sector and the community were badly affected, because the decline in agricultural prices was more and longer than the values of ______.

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