Q : Examine how the decline of traditional artisanal industry in colonial India crippled the rural economy. 2017 | 15

Introduction

The decline of India’s traditional artisanal industries under British rule severely weakened the rural economy. Colonial trade and industrial policies destroyed the craft-based production system that had sustained village life for centuries.

Main Body

1. British machine-made textiles replaced fine Indian handwoven cloth like Dacca muslin and Benares silk, driving thousands of weavers to poverty.
2. Artisans such as blacksmiths, carpenters, and potters lost local markets as cheap imported goods—iron tools, steel utensils, and porcelain—flooded villages.
3. Displaced artisans turned to agriculture for survival, increasing pressure on land and worsening rural unemployment and indebtedness.
4. Loss of non-farm income reduced peasants’ purchasing power, shrinking rural demand and further depressing agricultural prices.
5. Colonial neglect of indigenous industries like Bidriware of Hyderabad or brasswork of Moradabad prevented technological adaptation or state support.

Conclusion

The destruction of artisanal industries shattered village self-sufficiency and deepened agrarian distress, making the rural economy stagnant and dependent on colonial markets.