UPSC Prelims 2018 Q68: Modern History – British Administration & Economic Policies
- (a) Raw cotton, oil - seeds and opium
- (b) Sugar, salt, zinc and lead
- (c) Copper, silver, gold, spices and tea
- (d) Cotton, silk, saltpetre and opium
Answer: (d) Cotton, silk, saltpetre and opium
Explanation
East India Company Exports from Bengal - Mid-18th Century
After the Battle of Plassey (1757) and later Battle of Buxar (1764), the East India Company gained the Diwani of Bengal (1765) and began systematic export of Bengal's commodities to Europe and China.
| Option | Actual Bengal exports (mid-18th c.)? | Correct? | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | Raw cotton, oil-seeds, opium | Cotton was from Deccan/Gujarat, not Bengal. | NO |
| (b) | Sugar, salt, zinc, lead | Salt was a Bengal monopoly but zinc/lead were not major Bengal exports. | NO |
| (c) | Copper, silver, gold, spices, tea | Copper/gold not Bengal exports; tea was from China (later Assam post-1830s). | NO |
| (d) Cotton, silk, saltpetre, opium | YES | Bengal's staple 18th-century exports: cotton textiles (muslin, calico), raw silk and silk textiles, saltpetre (Bihar's crucial gunpowder ingredient for European wars), and opium (from Bihar-UP, exported to China for Company's tea purchases). | YES |
Answer: (d) Cotton, silk, saltpetre and opium.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Raw cotton was from Deccan/Gujarat, not Bengal - Bengal was known for finished cotton textiles.
- (b) Incorrect. Bengal did not export significant zinc or lead - these were minor items, not staples.
- (c) Incorrect. Bengal did not export copper, silver, gold or spices as staples - tea only began post-1830s from Assam.
- (d) CORRECT. Cotton (finished textiles), silk, saltpetre (Bihar), and opium (Bihar/UP for China trade) were Bengal's staple exports.
Key point
Bengal exports mid-18th c.: Cotton textiles (muslin, calico), silk, saltpetre (gunpowder), opium (China trade). Opium was crucial for the Canton/China tea trade - triggering later Opium Wars.
Remember
In the mid-18th century, the East India Company's staple exports from Bengal were cotton textiles (muslin and calico), silk, saltpetre (a crucial gunpowder ingredient from Bihar), and opium (from Bihar/UP, exported to China to finance the tea trade). This trade underpinned Britain's commercial and industrial expansion and later triggered the Opium Wars with China.
Common mistakes
- Assuming Bengal exported raw cotton - Bengal's fame was FINISHED cotton textiles (muslin), not raw fiber.
- Forgetting saltpetre - crucial gunpowder ingredient monopolized from Bihar, hugely profitable for the Company.
- Missing the Bengal-China opium-tea nexus - Bengal opium paid for the Company's tea imports from China.
Exam tip
Company's staple triangular trade: Bengal cotton/silk/saltpetre/opium -> Europe/China -> China tea + European silver -> back to India. Opium was the Company's balance-of-trade tool against China.
Sources
- Bipan Chandra - India's Struggle for Independence (Economic Impact chapters)
- Om Prakash - European Commercial Enterprise in Pre-Colonial India