Question

Explain the causes of the Great Revolt of 1857 with reference to the following:

Any four economic causes

The Indian Nationalists described the Great Uprising of 1857 as the First War of Independence. With reference to this, answer the following question:

Mention any four economic causes of the Revolt.

Answer 1

1. Exploitation of Economic Resources: Under British rule, India was turned into an exporter of raw materials such as raw cotton, raw silk, indigo, tea and food grains. British goods were brought in either duty-free or at nominal duty rates. On the other hand, Indian products were subjected to high import duties in England. Indian handmade goods were not in a position to compete with machine-made British goods. This resulted in the ruin of Indian industry, unemployment among artisans, reduction in an agricultural surplus and a steep increase in the price of raw materials.
2. Drain of Wealth: Till the Battle of Plassey (1757), the British brought gold into India to buy Indian cotton and silk. However, after the conquest of Bengal, the purchase was done with the surplus revenue from Bengal profits acquired from a duty-free inland trade. This unilateral transfer of wealth from India to England is called the ‘Drain of Wealth’. The drain included the salaries, incomes and savings of the Englishmen, British expenditure in India on military goods, office establishments, interest on debts, unnecessary expenditure on the army, etc.
3. Decay of Cottage Industries and Handicrafts: Heavy duties on Indian silk and cotton textiles in Britain destroyed Indian industries. On the other hand, British goods were imported into India at a nominal duty. By the middle of the 19^th century; export of cotton and silk goods from India practically ceased. The art of spinning and weaving, which for ages had given employment to thousands of artisans, became extinct. The misery of the artisans was further compounded by the disappearance of their traditional patrons and buyers-the princes, chieftains and zamindars.
4. Inhuman Treatment of Indigo Cultivators: Indigo trade was highly profitable to the British but the conditions under which the peasants had to work were inhuman. The peasants were forced to cultivate only indigo in the fields chosen by the British planters. If they planted anything else, their crops were destroyed, and their cattle were carried off as punishment.