Which of the following statements correctly explains the impact of Industrial Revolution on India during the first half of the nineteenth century ?
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Answer: A. In the first half of the 19th century, cheap machine-made British cloth flooded India while Indian goods faced high duties in Britain. This ruined Indian handicrafts, especially textiles (deindustrialisation).
Watch for: Railways and machines are linked with the Industrial Revolution, but they came to India later.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Wrong because Indian textile mills with machines came only from the 1850s, and in small numbers.
- C. Wrong because the first railway line was opened only in 1853, and expansion came later.
- D. Wrong because British goods entered India at very low duties under free trade.
Source to check: NCERT Class 8 Our Pasts III, Chapter 7 (Weavers, Iron Smelters and Factory Owners); Bipan Chandra, History of Modern India, Chapter on economic impact
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.