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Ruling the
Countryside 3
q Condition of peasants and craftsmen q British agrarian policy
q Overall impact of British agrarian policy q Cultivation of commercial crops
q Peasant Revolts q Revolts by indigo cultivators
Introduction However, the arrival of the British affected the
The British rule in India greatly affected the people, Indian way of rural life in more ways than one. A
both rural and urban, in different aspects of life. This definite amount of land revenue was fixed which
rule affected them socially, politically, economically it was necessary for a peasant to pay. This fixed
and culturally. Until this time, a change in a ruler did land revenue was charged despite the fact
not entail any change in the social structure; whether the conditions were conducive to farming
or not. Because agriculture chiefly depended on
however, the British exploited the Indian situations
monsoon then, it was difficult to grow good crops
for their imperial designs and trade interests. They
never thought about the welfare of the Indian every year. Crops failed often. This necessitated
that the peasants grew such crops which could
people. Consequently, India had to suffer from
serve their interests; and due
famines and starvation. A large part of the Indian
population lived in villages and depended on to this, they started to grow
cash crops so that they could
agriculture, and any change in the agrarian policy
pay revenue on time. A cash
resulted in a widespread change. Though the trade crop is chiefly grown for
and economic changes brought some advantages to
selling in the market for
the Indian people, yet they were primarily meant to
commercial use, such as
serve the imperialistic designs, and did more harm jute, cotton, indigo, poppy,
than good to the Indian people. A cotton field
sugar cane etc.
CONDITION OF PEASANTS AND CRAFTSMEN Previously, the Indian peasants grew one or two
crops in a year; this retained fertility of the land.
Before we set down to study the colonial agrarian However, exploitation at the British hands
policies of the British, let us first understand the
compelled them to grow two to three crops,
prevailing Indian situation of that time. The village
which wreaked havoc with fertility.
was self-sufficient in its needs because the people
had limited needs and agriculture met all these Earlier, the peasants were the owners of the land and
needs perfectly. Only a few things were required could not be evicted. But the situation underwent a
from outside the village, such as ornaments, salt, change under the British. As the land revenue was
condiments, tools etc. All other needs were met compulsory to be paid, they made the land a
from within the village resources, including food, saleable article. If a peasant failed to pay land
cloth, agricultural appliances etc. revenue, his land was auctioned. More often than
not, the Indian peasants had to take a debt from the
The peasants were the owners of the land they village moneylender to pay the land revenue. Since
tilled. They had right over the land and they could
the rates of land revenue as well as the rates of
not be evicted from it. interest were too high, a peasant could never repay
Contemporary Social Science-8
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