Chapter-1

Structural Change
Colonial experience for comprehending modern India
● The colonial rule has had a tremendous impact on Indian society in all
aspects-railways, industries, postal system (social, cultural, economic,
political).
● Understanding of colonial experience while comprehending modern India is of
significant importance as many modern ideas and institutions reached India
through colonialism.
● It is also because such an exposure to modern ideas was contradictory or
paradoxical. For example, Indians in the colonial period read about western
liberalism and freedom.
● Yet they lived under a western, colonial rule that denied Indians liberty and
freedom. It is contradiction of this kind that shaped many of the structural and
cultural changes in modern India.

Colonialism
● Colonialism simply means the establishment of rule by one country over
another. In the modern period western colonialism has had the greatest
impact.
● India’s past has been marked by the entry of numerous groups of people at
different times who have established their rule over different parts of what
constitutes modern India today.
● The impact of colonial rule is distinguishable from all other earlier rules
because the changes it brought in were far-reaching and deep.
● History is full of examples of the annexation of foreign territory and the
domination of weaker by stronger powers. Nevertheless, there is a vital
difference between the empire building of pre-capitalist times and that of
capitalist times.
 ● Apart from outright pillage, the pre-capitalist conquerors benefited from their
domination by exacting a continuous flow of tribute.
● On the whole they did not interfere with the economic base. They simply took
the tribute that was skimmed off the economic surplus that was produced
traditionally in the subjugated areas.

Use of English
The use of English language as an outcome of changes due to colonialism has many
sided impact and yet paradoxical. English is not only widely used in India but we now
have an impressive body of literary writings by Indians in English. This knowledge of
English has given Indians an edge in the global market.
However, English still continues to be a mark of privilege and not knowing English is
considered a disadvantage in the job market. On the other hand, those who were
traditionally deprived access to formal education such as the Dalits, knowledge of
English may open doors of opportunities that were formally closed.
Colonialism led to considerable movement of people. It led to movement of people
from one part to another within India. For instance people from present day
Jharkhand moved to Assam to work on the tea plantations.
A newly emerging middle class particularly from the British Presidency regions of
Bengal and Madras moved as government employees and professionals like doctors
and lawyers moved to different parts of the country.
People were carted in ships from India to work on other colonised lands in distant
Asia, Africa and Americas. Many died on their way. Most could never return. Today
many of their descendants are known as people of Indian origin.

Capitalism
● Capitalism is an economic system in which the means of production are
privately owned and organised to accumulate profits within a market system.
● Capitalism in the west emerged out of a complex process of European
exploration of the rest of the world, its plunder of wealth and resources, an
unprecedented growth of science and technology, it’s harnessing to industries
and agriculture.
 ● Capitalism has global nature with its dynamism, its potential to grow, expand,
innovate and use technology and labour in a way that best assured to ensure
greatest profit.
● Western colonialism was inextricably connected to the growth of western
capitalism that became the dominant economic system.

Nation State as dominant political form

● Territory, population, administration, sovereignty. Educated Indians wanted
sovereignty (governing their own country), taking own decisions.
● Industrialisation requires setting of factories and employing labour.
● Manchester: Industrial city in England. Cotton from India was sent to
Manchester, processed into silk made cloth and sold in India for cheaper
prices.
● Along with Surat and Masulipatnam, Dhaka and Thanjavur were ruled by kings
and they too lost their courts.
● Artisans, painters, dancers, singers lost their importance. (working class) had
to look for alternative jobs.
● Where there were industries, population increased and people from rural areas
migrated to urban areas.
● They realised that life in urban areas and factories was tougher (social and
economic reasons).
● All castes were the same, felt their culture was getting encoded.
● Madras (coffee, indigo, spices)
● Bombay (cotton) first established as price capital counter for trading.
● Calcutta (jute)

Role of cities
● Cities had a key role in the economic system of empires. Coastal cities like
Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai were favoured as from here primary goods
could be easily exported and manufactured goods could be cheaply imported.
● Colonial cities were the prime link between the economic or core centres in
Britain and periphery or margins in colonised India.
 ● Cities were the concrete expression of global capitalism. For example,
Bombay during British India was planned and re-developed so that by 1900
over three-quarters of India’s raw cotton were shipped through the city.
● Urbanisation in the colonial period led to decline of some earlier urban centres
and the emergence of new colonial cities. Kolkata was one of the first of such
cities.
● Cities were also important as a trading post, for defensive purposes and for
military engagements

Urbanisation and Industrialization

Tea Plantations
● Tea grows in hilly areas and requires rain, hence, Assam was ideal for tea
plantation.
● Disadvantage of Assam ~ low population, therefore people had to be moved
from Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Life of Labourers
● Harsh weather conditions caused diseases.
● Moved away from hence culture shock (adjustment).
● Living and working conditions were poor.

Low wages
Penal laws made by the British to punish the offender or workers if they did not
report on time, try to run away or went against them.
● But their laws were in favour of the plantation owners.
● Industry was privately and publicly owned.
● Either plantation owners or planters and management was done by employing
managers.
● Had a luxurious life and large bungalows with gardens which were maintained
by the labourers.
● Industrialisation and urbanisation in independent India.
 ● Nehru and ministers felt a ‘drain of wealth’ as Britishers left us in a difficult
position.
● Had to recognise the economy and led to develop industries.
● Nehru called ‘dams’ the temples of modem India as they provide employment,
control floods and hydro electricity.

Urban-Rural Areas Impact

People move from rural to urban areas in search of jobs, better standard of living,
sense of anonymity.
1. Migration
– Social reason sense of anonymity, ability to choose one’s own job.
– Economic reason, better job opportunities, standard of living.
2. Classes between immigrants and residents; where immigrants move to urban
areas, the residents resist this because they feel that they have to show housing
facilities, job opportunities.
3. Metropolis: city + suburbs, suburbs because part of city e.g. Chennai, Bangalore,
Suburb areas had to reach because they were far away.
4.Megapolis: Suburbs of city because part of the city and also belong to other states
e.g., NCR-Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Noida, Bombay, Calcutta Megapolis
> Metropolis .