Agricultural Sector ,

Indian Economy At The Eve

Of Independence

MADE BY: ARPAN

CLASS: 12TH - A
 Agriculture Sector of India - Stagnation
During British Rule

 Indian agriculture during British rule went towards stagnation.

 Lack of supervision led to negligence in reforms, which were
introduced to ensure development in productivity.
 Meanwhile, the British government continued in their trade deals,
extracting more profit that inevitably led to the fall of India’s
agricultural sector. 
 Causes
of
Stagnation
Zamindari System

 One of the primary reasons for the cause of stagnation in India’s agricultural sector was the
zamindari system. This agricultural system was mainly practised in Bengal, which was the
then capital of British India. 
 As per this system, the majority of the profits went to landowners, i.e. zamindars instead of
cultivators. As a result, the colonial bosses ultimately made the most income, while such
farmers were not remunerated adequately. 
 These zamindars, who were vassals of their colonial masters, did not help to improve the
agriculture sector but only wanted to reap its benefits. Even though economic conditions were
degrading gradually, zamindars did not issue any rebates on tariffs. Moreover, such tariffs
had unethical rules and guidelines that did not favour cultivators. For example, if cultivators
did not pay their rent on time, the colonial leaders would repeal all of their rights. 
Forced Commercialisation

 Even though there was a shortage of resources, the British rule insisted on
widespread commercialisation to bring in more profits. Their objective was to make
this industry evolve and undergo ‘cultivation for sale’ from the orthodox methods of
‘cultivation for self’. 
 That led to the production of crops only for sale. In India, where the majority of
cultivated crops were used for self-consumption were then sent to markets for sale.
Brits also introduced the cultivation of commercial crops such as Indigo to enhance
their profits. Even though Indigo is a favourable crop for a commercialised
agriculture sector, it brought more harm to India as it damaged the fertility of soils
in vast proportions
Partition
 India’s partition into Pakistan and
Bangladesh brought in a food crisis all
over India as several crop-cultivating
lands were now divided. Various rice-
producing agricultural lands in
Punjab, India then became a part of
Pakistan.
“ Features of
Indian Agriculture on the
Eve of Independence
”
Fragmented Land Ownership

 On the eve of independence, our Indian

economy was known to be in an agro-state.
Despite being a primary mean of
livelihood, India’s agriculture sector was
in a rapid decline. One of the main reasons
behind it being scattered land owned by
different individuals which made it even
harder for cultivation.
Outdated Technology

 Even after India achieved independence, old

fashioned technology and outdated methods
were used in its agriculture sector. Not only
there was a lack of machines, which would
help in minimising human resources but also
an absence of growth enhancement
ingredients, such as fertilisers, etc. 
 Low Productivity

 Due to the absence of innovative methods and

fragmented ownership of cultivated lands’
existence, the total output per hectare of lands
was significantly low. So, productivity in India’s
agriculture sector reached rock bottom and thus
affecting its economy at a large scale.
Feud Amongst Landowners and Cultivators

 Another reason behind the agriculture sector’s decline on

the eve of independence was the long-lasting feud between
landowners and cultivators. Landowners never paid
cultivation costs but only shared the output. Cultivators
not only had to pay their landowners a particular rent but
also had to bear the overall production cost. It affected
cultivators’ finances substantially resulting in a continuous
feud between these two sides.
Dependence on Rain

 Since India’s agriculture sector lacked

innovative methods and valuable
equipment, it depended a lot on rainfall.
High rainfall led to increased
productivity, whereas little rainfall meant
there would be insufficient production.
Cultivation for Self

 Subsistence farming was also a significant

cause for the fall of India’s agriculture sector
during this period. In such an agricultural
method that focused on self-consumption only
instead of selling it in markets brought severe
instability in India’s agriculture sector.
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