DECLINE OF TRADITIONAL ARTISANAL INDUSTRY

 UPSC GS MAINS IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Examine how the decline of traditional artisanal industry in colonial India crippled the rural economy.


Before the advent of colonialism in India, the country was center of Industrial activities in the world. India's rural economy thrived and agriculture and handicrafts supplemented each other.



The British gradually annexed the princely states one after another. The courts in India employed a large variety of people including painters, craftsmen, poets, folk artists, priests etc. when the kings lost their authority and power these professionals were deprived of their patrons and hence rendered jobless. On their part the British government made no serious efforts. 



The British government saw India primarily as the supplier of cheap raw material and market for the finished goods coming from London. Therefore they systematically destroyed the rural economy by adopting policies that discouraged local artisans and favored big industrialist who entered into contracts with the East India Company. England pursued a biased policy to de-industrialize India. While Indian goods were subjected to high tariffs in the European market, the British goods gained duty free access into the Indian markets.




The traditional barter system declined and traditional artisans found it difficult to get buyers for their produce. Deprived of their traditional occupations the artisans fell back to the land for livelihood which tremendously increased both dependency and pressure on land. Also farmers were forced to grow what suited the British demands. Eg. In Bihar and Bengal, Farmers were forced to grow Indigo at large scale.



The people were left into the vicious cycle of extreme poverty. Major cottage industries like textile, leather, oil, pottery etc. were ruined and no alternative source of production was setup in India. The outcome of destroying the traditional artisanal industry was that once self sufficient village economy got transformed into an agricultural colony which was supposed to fuel the growth of British economy for next few centuries.



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