UPSC Prelims 2020 Q33: Modern History – British Administration & Economic Policies
- (a) peasant resistance to the oppressive conduct of planters
- (b) its unprofitability in the world market because of new inventions
- (c) national leaders' opposition to the cultivation of indigo
- (d) Government control over the planters
Answer: (b) its unprofitability in the world market because of new inventions
Explanation
Indigo Cultivation Decline: Root Cause
| Reason | Correct? |
|---|---|
| Peasant resistance + planter oppression | Partial - peasants revolted (1859-60) but not primary reason for 20th cent decline |
| New chemical dyes made indigo unprofitable | YES - PRIMARY |
| National leaders' opposition | Secondary; dyes were already cheaper |
| Government control | No - opposite occurred (free market replaced monopoly) |
Indigo Cultivation Collapse (early 20th century):
- Synthetic dyes invented (Germany: 1897, synthetic indigo synthesized)
- Natural indigo became uncompetitive in world market
- Cheaper synthetic alternative flooded markets
- Indigo planters lost profitability and shifted crops
Indigo Revolt (1859-60) reduced indigo but industry survived until synthetic competition arrived.
Answer: (b) its unprofitability in the world market because of new inventions.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Partial but not primary. Revolt occurred earlier (1859-60); decline accelerated 20th century due to synthetics.
- (b) CORRECT. Synthetic dyes (invented 1897+) made natural indigo economically unviable in global market.
- (c) Incorrect. National opposition was secondary; economics was primary.
- (d) Incorrect. Government actually decontrolled indigo after EIC's monopoly ended.
Key point
Indigo collapse sequence: (1) Indigo Revolt 1859-60 (peasant resistance), (2) Indigo industry survived 1870-1890s, (3) Synthetic indigo invented 1897 (Germany), (4) Natural indigo unprofitable by 1900s, (5) Industry abandoned by 1920s.
Remember
Indigo cultivation in India declined by the beginning of the 20th century primarily because of its unprofitability in the world market due to the invention and proliferation of synthetic dyes, particularly synthetic indigo which was cheaper and more consistent than natural indigo.
Common mistakes
- Conflating peasant resistance with economic decline. These were separate phenomena 40+ years apart.
- Assuming EIC/planters simply chose to leave. Synthetic competition made indigo economically unviable.
- Missing industrial history - Germany's chemical industry was dominant in dye synthesis (BASF, Bayer).
Exam tip
Synthetic dyes revolution: Germany dominated chemical industry post-1880s. Synthetic indigo (1897) undercut natural production globally. India lost another valuable export crop. Parallels: synthetic rubber (1950s), synthetic fibers (1960s-70s).
Sources
- Mike Davis - Late Victorian Holocausts (Chapter on India's agricultural collapse)
- Tirthankar Roy - The Economic History of India 1857-1947