What was the effect of the systematic de-industrialisation policy followed by the British?

Question

Accepted Answer

The effects of the policy of de-industrialisation followed by the British were:

1. The de-industrialisation of India by the British ensured maximum benefit to their home country, as India became a supplier of cheap raw materials and a market for British finished goods.

2. The decline of the traditional handicraft industries created massive unemployment in India. The displaced artisans were forced to take up agriculture, increasing the burden of population on land.

3. The fall in the supply of locally made goods created a demand for the import of British goods, much to the advantage of the British.

Thus, de-industrialisation ruined India's world-famous handicrafts without providing any alternative source of employment or industrial development.