IGNOU HISTORY NOTES : India History From Mid 18th to Mid 19th Century - The Commercialisation of Agriculture

IGNOU HISTORY Study Notes for IAS, UPSC Exams

History India From Mid 18th to Mid 19th Century

The Commercialisation of Agriculture

Structure

16.0 Objectives
16.1 Introduction
16.2 The Range of Commercialisation
16.3 Commercialisation before the british
16.4 Commercialisation under the british
16.4.1 The Company Aims
16.4.2 Implicators of these aim
16.4.3 Effect of the export trade on agriculture
16.4.4 the sale on the commerial crops
16.5 The Commerc:al Crops
16 5.1 Raw Silk
16 5 2 Opum
16.5.3 Indigo
16.5.4 Cct:on
16.5.5 Pepper
16.?.6 Sugar
16.5.7 Tea
16.6 The Effects of Commercialisation
16.6.1 1rnpoverishm:nt
16.6.2 lnsrabiliiy
16.6.3 The Various Markers
16.6.4 Social Structure
16.7 Let Us Sum Up
16.8 Answers To Check Your Frogress Exercises

16.0 OBJECTIVES

This L!nit analyses the commercialisatio of agriculture in India during the early
phaser of Rritish rule that is, up to the middle of the 19th century. The process
of commeriialiss(tion that began under the British had far-reaching effects on
llndian life, and many of the problems that arose 'then, are still with us today.
After studyilg this Unit, you will learn about:

the meaning of the term 'commercialisation';
the extent of commercialisation before the British conquest;
the changes that cccilrred with the introduction of British rule
the different ways in which the new commercial agriculture was organised; ancl.
the effects of this process on the Indian economy, and on the Indian farmers.

16.1 INTRODUCTION

The market is a familiar institution for all of us. You must have frequently gone
to a market to make purchases, or sometimes to sell things. This is because we live
in a conmercialised economy. People work and earn, or produce and sell, because
they get money with which they can buy what they want on the market. All sorts
of things.can be bought on the market - from little things like cigarettes or sweets
to expensive things like houses or land. There are even markets for labour - for
e~ample, the employment exchanges tha! are run by the Government are a sort of