Definitions [2]
Definition: Industrialisation
Industrialisation refers to the emergence of machine production, based on the use of inanimate power resources like steam or electricity.
Definition: Colonialism
Colonialism simply means the establishment of rule by one country over another, where a stronger power dominates and controls the political, economic and social life of the weaker region.
Key Points
Key Points: Colonialism
- Colonialism involved the domination of weaker societies by stronger foreign powers, mainly European nations.
- British colonialism in India was based on a capitalist system and aimed at maximising profits for British capitalism.
- Colonial rule deeply interfered with Indian economic life by changing land laws, crops, forests and methods of production.
- It caused large-scale movement of people within India and to other countries for plantation and labour work.
- Although colonialism brought structural changes, it also led to the growth of nationalism and anti-colonial consciousness in India.
Key Points: Urbanisation in Independent India
- Urbanisation in India has increased rapidly, especially in recent decades due to globalisation and economic growth.
- After Independence, villages began to come under strong urban influence, though the impact differed from place to place.
- Sociologist M.S.A. Rao explained that urban impact varies depending on the nature of a village’s relationship with nearby towns or cities.
- The absolute urban population has steadily increased from 1951 to 2011.
- The number of urban agglomerations (UA) and towns has also grown continuously.
- Although urban population has increased, the decennial growth rate of urban population has shown a declining trend in recent decades.
- For the first time since Independence, the absolute increase in urban population became higher than the rural population increase.
Key Points: The Colonial Experience
- In Europe, industrialisation led to urbanisation, with most people shifting from agriculture to factory and office work.
- Britain was the first country to industrialise and rapidly became a predominantly urban society.
- In India, British industrialisation caused deindustrialisation, destroying many traditional crafts and industries.
- Old Indian cities declined, while colonial cities like Bombay, Calcutta and Madras grew as centres of trade.
- Colonial cities acted as links between Britain (core) and India (periphery) in the global capitalist economy.
- Industrialisation under colonial rule reshaped Indian social structure, creating new classes and inequalities.
Key Points: The Tea Plantations
- Industrialisation and urbanisation in India developed differently from Britain because they were shaped by colonial interests.
- The tea industry is used as an example to show how colonial industrialisation functioned in India.
- The colonial government used unfair and coercive methods to recruit and retain labourers on tea plantations.
- Colonial administrators openly supported British planters and enforced harsh measures against labourers.
- Labour laws in colonies did not follow democratic norms, allowing planters to exploit workers freely.
Key Points: Industrialisation in Independent India
- After Independence, the Indian state played an active role in promoting industrialisation.
- Industrial policy was shaped partly as a response to the impact of colonial exploitation.
- Indian nationalists saw economic exploitation under colonial rule as a central issue.
- Rapid industrialisation was viewed as the path to economic growth and social equality.
- Emphasis was placed on heavy industries, machine-making industries, public sector expansion, and cooperatives.
Important Questions [6]
- Read the source and answer the question: Urban luxury manufacturers like the high-quality silks and cotton of Dacca When the British took over states and towns of India, some of them lost their
- "For Indian nationalists, the issue of economic exploitation under colonial rule was a central issue." How did Indian nationalists promote industrialization in the early years of independence?
- Which of the following is true for a model of South Asian colonial city?
- Assertion (A): Urbanization in the colonial period saw the prosperity of indigenous industries. Reason (R): There was emergence of new colonial Cities.
- How were labourers recruited and appointed by the colonial administrators in the tea gardens?
- How did the planters in the tea plantation live?
