Do You Agree That the British Rule Benefited the Indian Economy in the 19th Century?

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The enquiry implies the view that British presence in India was on the basis that the British intended to expand the Indian economy, earning wealth and prosperity for the benefit of the country. All the sources provide conclusive evidence against the view that Britain’s purpose was to serve the Indian economy, although Sources 5 and 6 explore the possible benefits the British brought to India, despite the purely mercenary motives of the British Empire. British impact on the economic development of India was limited, although there some benefits of British rule. The British transformed the economy by investing in India’s main industries, enabling the expansion of these industries. Before British involvement, the Indian iron, cotton, jute and coal industries operated on a small-scale. India was largely a rural country, with only a few Indians working in industry and the majority of farmers grew crops for personal need. The farmers who were particularly enterprising, grew indigo, opium and cotton for the export market, although this activity was modest and there was little progression in the trade of agricultural goods. The establishment of the British Raj led to a dynamic effect on agriculture and industry. Britain was the leader in industry and had seen an immediate market for Indian goods, where there had previously been zero potential for development. Niall Ferguson in Source 5 provides evidence to show that Britain made contributions to her colony. The large sum of £270 million suggests that the British wanted to assist India by funding aspects of the economy. The British made significant achievements such as increasing “the area of irrigated land by a factor of eight”, “number of jute spindles by a factor of ten” and creating an Indian coal industry “from scratch.” This source supports the view that India underwent major industrial changes, indicating
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