question_answer 16)

Were there any positive contributions made by the British in India? Discuss.

Answer:

Yes, there were various positive contributions that were made by the British in India though these contributions wore not made with the objective of welfare for Indians but for the British interests. Some of the positive contributions made by British are (i) Introduction of Railways The introduction of railways by the British was a breakthrough in the development process of Indian Economy. It opened up the cultural and geographical barriers and facilitated commercialization of Indian agriculture. (ii) Introduction of Commercialization of Agriculture The introduction of commercial agriculture is an important breakthrough in trio history of Indian agriculture. Prior to the advent of the British, Indian agriculture was of subsistence nature. But with the commercialization of agriculture the agricultural production was named out as per the market requirements leading to higher agricultural incomes. (iii) Introduction of Free Trade British forced India to follow free trade pattern during the colonial rule. This is the key concept of globalisation today. The free trade provided domestic industry with a platform to compete with the British industries. The introduction of free trade led to an increase in the volume of India's exports. (iv) Development of Infrastructure The infrastructure developed in India by the British proved to be useful for Indian people. The telegram and postal services served Indian public and the roads built by British provided connectivity to interior regions.