What were the major impacts of 'commercialisation of agriculture' on Indian farmers during the pre-Independence India? Discuss.
The commercialisation of agriculture during pre-Independence India profoundly reshaped rural life, largely to the detriment of farmers. Driven by British demand for raw materials like cotton, jute, indigo, and opium, cultivators were increasingly compelled to shift from subsistence farming (food crops) to cash crop cultivation.
This transition had several impacts. Firstly, it reduced food security, making peasants vulnerable to famines as less land was used for food grains. Secondly, it deepened indebtedness; farmers often borrowed at high interest to purchase seeds and tools, becoming trapped in cycles of debt when prices collapsed or harvests failed. Thirdly, it integrated Indian agriculture into global markets but only as a raw material supplier, exposing farmers to international price volatility without benefits of industrialization. Lastly, it widened rural inequalities, as traders and moneylenders profited while small cultivators sank deeper into poverty. Overall, commercialization worsened vulnerability rather than delivering prosperity.
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