Explain the systematic de-industrialisation of India and the mechanics of the drain of wealth via trade.
How Britain systematically destroyed Indian handicrafts.
Under British rule, the systematic de-industrialisation of India wasn't an accident—it was a deliberate policy driven by a clear two-fold motive to fuel Britain's industrial boom.
Visualizing the two-fold motive.
India was forced to export raw goods ...
... and import finished ones, destroying local manufacturing.
The slow and skewed growth of modern industries.
During the second half of the 19th century, modern industry began to take root in India, but its overall progress remained extremely slow and geographically uneven.
Check recall of industrial locations and ownership.
Terms
Definitions
How Britain locked down Indian trade.
For centuries, India had been a global trading powerhouse. But under colonial rule, Britain imposed restrictive policies and maintained a strict monopoly control over India's exports and imports.
Map showing the impact of the Suez Canal.
Opened in 1869, the Suez Canal vastly reduced travel time between India and Britain, strengthening colonial trade monopoly.