Approach:
Begin by giving a brief of the Industrial Revolution in England and how it used resources from its colonies.
Explain the exploitation of Indian industry by the British.
Conclude by summarizing the arguments.
The Industrial Revolution, which began in the late 18th century in Britain, was a period of rapid industrialization which introduced mechanized production, steam engines, and factories, leading to mass production of goods. British colonies acted as a resource pool (of cotton, indigo, etc.) as well as a market for these goods.
Industrial Revolution and a Declining Handicrafts and Cottage Industry
Hand v/s Machine Made Goods: A subsidized flow of mass-produced machine-made goods was bound to throw handcrafted and expensive, Indian goods out of the market.
Discriminatory Policies: The British imposed a policy of laissez-faire, levying high tariffs on Indian goods exported to England while allowing cheap British goods to enter India with minimal tariffs.
Unemployment and Shift to Agriculture: The destruction of local markets weakened the livelihoods of artisans, causing many to lose patronage from rulers and wealthy patrons.
An unemployed workforce was forced to abandon their craft and turn to agriculture or other menial jobs to survive.
Exploitative Farming: Population with sizable amount of land was forced to carry out cash crop cultivation of specific crops which were needed for the British industries. e.g., The Indigo Plantation.
Eventual Decline in Innovation: The influx of cheaper machine-made goods reduced demand for handcrafted items, leading to lower production and quality, as artisans couldn't afford to innovate.
Indian Perspectives
Drain of Wealth: Dadabhai Naoroji's theory highlighted how British exploitation drained India's wealth, hindering industrial growth and development.
Swadeshi Movement: Mahatma Gandhi emphasized that British industrialization came at the cost of Indian livelihoods, and urged Indians to boycott foreign goods.
Jawaharlal Nehru: In his book ‘The Discovery of India’ argued that British policies deindustrialized India, turning it from a manufacturing hub into a supplier of raw materials.
Conclusion
The structural damage to the Indian society caused by the Industrial Revolution still lingers on. However, framers of our constitution understood the power of cottage industry for a country like India and hence Article 43 clearly prompts the country to establish them.
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3February 20, 2025 44.9K 24
