Q. Analyze the reasons behind agricultural stagnation in British India?
Agriculture used to give jobs to more than 75% of Indians in British India. Failure of the government, various intermediaries and peasants themselves to invest in agriculture caused stagnation in agriculture.
British Govt
Farming was main source of revenue for the British Govt in India. It needed huge income to maintain large army for its empirical aspirations, to administer the country and other purposes. Thus it started squeezing agriculture to increase its revenues. Thus they taxed agriculture heavily. But they never bothered to invest in farming to increase productivity.
Intermediaries
Their mere tasks were to collect the rents. They added little in the production. They lived luxurious lives. Thus they kept a large part of revenues with them. Moreover, there were multiple levels of intermediaries. This caused additional loss of rent. Their lifestyles did not allow them to invest time and money in improving agriculture. In regions, where govt used to collect rent directly from the peasants, taxation and conditions of rent collection were very harsh.
Poor peasants
High taxation and unnecessary distribution of farm produce left farmers with little of farm income Collection of rents even during distressed conditions such famine and drought render them poor. They did not earn enough to invest in agriculture. Moreover, economic policy of the govt rendered various groups of artisans jobless. They turned to farming. It thus enhanced pressure on the limited land.
The apathy of govt and intermediaries towards farming and incapability of farmers to invest in modern agricultural techniques and practices led to agricultural stagnation in British India.