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Indian economy During Colonialism
Mani Krishna
Indian land had been invaded and ruled by many
outsiders, amongst which the British regime was considered very important.
British East India Company entered India in 1757 through the Battle of Plassey and the
Crown took the complete administration during 1858. Politically, India was under the British rule for around two
centuries and the Indian economy was significantly influenced during their
rule. Indian culture and administration too underwent a major transition
during British rule.
Other invaders, prior to British, created a
feeling of differentiation between Indian citizens and themselves as a
separate class. However, British identified themselves as citizens of India. Thanks to this attitude, British followed an
administrative set up in India to develop their motherland at the expense of
India.
Further, the spread of colonialism of the
British in South East Asia also led to another problem. They transported
Indians to other neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka as labourers to work in their plantations.
However, when they left this sub-continent, they left several of these issues
unsolved. Still today, these Indian labourers in Sri Lanka face an identity crisis. In Sri Lanka they are considered as Indians; and in India these labourers are considered as Sri
Lankans.
Economic activities of their colonies
including India were tuned to the interests of Great Britain. During British rule, Indian handicrafts contribution
declined and the economy was ruralized. British also introduced new land
mechanism to enable them to gain more land revenue in order to suit their
imperialistic needs. They adopted an industrial process transition through
colonial capitalism.
The colonial imperialistic attitude of the
British rule has yielded India an unique economic problem, that is,
modernisation with under-development. Though British provided peace in this
country, they failed to extend property. The only remarkable economic fruit
British rulers left for India was in the field of Indian transport system,
especially that of railways and roadways. However, this benefit was only
incidental. The ultimate motive of all the enterprise during British rule was
to serve the benefit of the Great Britain and not that of India. Thus, when
British left India in 1947, Indian economy depicted a paradoxical dual
picture of modernisation and under-development.
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