Why was there a sudden spurt in famines in colonial India since the mid-18th century? Give reasons.

Theme

T10 Colonial economy: drain, deindustrialisation, famines, economic policy

What UPSC asks in this theme

Questions repeat on how British policies hurt India's economy: decline of handicrafts, collapse of the rural artisan economy, famines, and an overall critical assessment of British economic policy.

What to cover

• Drain of wealth (Naoroji), land revenue systems (Permanent, Ryotwari, Mahalwari)
• Deindustrialisation: competition from British machine goods, loss of royal patronage
• Famines: commercialisation of agriculture, revenue demands, policy failures
• Railways and commercialisation: who gained, who lost

Writing the answer

• Structure by phases (mercantile, free trade, finance capital) for 'mid-18th century till independence' questions
• Always link back to the rural economy and peasants

These notes are for the whole theme, built from all 4 of its PYQs. UPSC does not publish model answers.