Previous Year Question
Economically, one of the results of the British rule in India in the 19th century was the
Correct Answer: C
Detailed Solution
Option (c) is correct. During British rule, Indian agriculture underwent increasing commercialisation of agriculture. Agricultural production became increasingly linked not merely to local consumption but to market and export requirements. During British rule, the expansion of railways and transport, export trade and market integration encouraged the production of cotton, jute, oilseeds, sugarcane and other commercial crops. According to IGNOU, the process of commercialisation that began under British rule had far-reaching effects on the Indian rural economy.
Option (a) is incorrect. Imports of British manufactured goods seriously affected Indian town and village handicrafts. Therefore, an increase in the export of Indian handicrafts was not a major economic result of British rule in the nineteenth century.
Option (b) is incorrect. During the same period, the development of modern industry was not sufficient to absorb workers displaced by the decline of traditional industries. A large number of such people consequently faced increasing pressure to move towards agriculture.
Option (d) is incorrect. The consequence of this economic transformation under British rule was not a rapid increase in the urban population, but increasing pressure on agriculture. Hence, among the given options, the clear economic result of British rule was the commercialization of Indian agriculture.