State any one positive contribution made by the British in India. Also, indicate the volume and direction of foreign trade of India at the time of Independence.

Question

Accepted Answer

1. One positive contribution made by the British in India was the introduction of railways, which broke geographical and cultural barriers and promoted national integration.

2. The restrictive policies of commodity production, trade and tariff pursued by the colonial rule adversely affected the volume and direction of India's foreign trade:

- The British maintained monopoly control over India's exports and imports.

- More than half of India's foreign trade was restricted to Britain, while the rest was allowed with a few other countries like China, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Persia (Iran).

- India had a huge export surplus during the colonial rule, which led to the drain of Indian wealth.