What was the result of British policy towards Indian industries ?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 1:

The result of British policy towards Indian industries during the colonial period was primarily **De-industrialization**. This term refers to the systematic decline and destruction of India’s indigenous manufacturing sector, particularly the thriving traditional industries like cotton textiles and handicrafts, which were globally renowned. The British employed a two-pronged strategy: first, by imposing heavy duties on Indian finished goods entering Britain, they blocked market access; and second, by allowing cheap, machine-made goods from British factories (made possible by the Industrial Revolution) to flood the Indian markets duty-free. This combination crippled local artisans and craftsmen, leading to widespread unemployment and forcing masses of people to rely solely on agriculture, thereby increasing population pressure on the land.

The incorrect option is 2: Decline in agriculture
While agriculture faced stagnation and commercialization under the British, the primary result of their industrial policy was the destruction of existing industries. The agricultural sector, in fact, absorbed the workers displaced from the declining industries, increasing dependence on it, rather than declining absolutely.

The incorrect option is 3: Rapid industrial development
The British policies were explicitly designed to make India a source of raw materials for British factories and a market for finished British goods, directly suppressing any genuine, rapid industrial development in India that might compete with Britain. Modern industries, like textiles and steel, only emerged slowly and selectively, mainly in the early 20th century.

The incorrect option is 4: Development of small scale industries and handicrafts
The opposite occurred. British policies, characterized by differential tariffs and the influx of cheaper, mass-produced machine goods, led to the decay and destruction of India's highly skilled small-scale industries and handicrafts, which had previously been a major source of wealth and exports.