Theme T10 · Modern India & Freedom Struggle
Colonial economy: drain, deindustrialisation, famines, economic policy
4PYQs
4GS1
2014–20244 distinct years
1asked 2024–26
What UPSC asks
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.
Prepare these
- 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
Answer writing
- Structure by phases (mercantile, free trade, finance capital) for 'mid-18th century till independence' questions
- Always link back to the rural economy and peasants
Directive words in these PYQs: Examine (2), How far (1), Why (1), Critically (1).
Linked themes
Builds on: study these first
These come earlier in the roadmap. Questions in this theme use them.
On the map
Syllabus lines covered
- GS1-L2 — Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues
All 4 PYQs, newest first
- GS1202415 marks · 250 wordsGS1-HIS-02-M2024-Q13
- GS1202210 marks · 150 wordsGS1-HIS-02-M2022-Q03
Why was there a sudden spurt in famines in colonial India since the mid-18th century? Give reasons.
- GS12017GS1-HIS-02-M2017-S01
- GS12014GS1-HIS-02-M2014-S01