The Great Uprising of 1857 — Question 6

Three ways by which the British exploited the resources of India were:

1. Agricultural India became an economic colony of industrial England. Raw materials like raw cotton and raw silk were forcibly exported at cheaper rates to British industries. Plantation products (like indigo and tea) and food grains which were in short supply in Britain were also exported cheaply from India. This deprived India of her agricultural surplus raising the prices of raw materials.
2. India was made to accept readymade British goods either duty-free or at nominal duty rates, while Indian products were subjected to high import duties in England. This ruined the Indian industry, deprived the artisans of their income and reduced the employment opportunities for labour.
3. Increase in the land revenue forced many peasants into debt or into selling their lands.