From Subsistence to Commercialization: Agrarian Economy and Peasant Distress under Colonial Rule

Dr. Dinesh Singh

Commercialization of agriculture; Colonial economy; Peasant distress; Land revenue systems; Cash crops; Agrarian crisis; Colonial exploitation.

The transformation of Indian agriculture under colonial rule marked a significant shift from subsistence-based production to market-oriented commercialization. This transition was not an organic economic evolution but a state-driven process shaped by imperial interests. The colonial state restructured agrarian relations through land revenue systems, commercialization of crops, and integration into global markets. While commercialization expanded agricultural exports, it simultaneously deepened peasant vulnerability through indebtedness, food insecurity, and exploitation by intermediaries. This chapter examines the nature, causes, and consequences of this transformation using historical and analytical methods. It argues that commercialization did not lead to agrarian development but instead intensified socio-economic inequalities and contributed to recurrent famines and agrarian distress. The study highlights the structural contradictions embedded in colonial agrarian policies and their long-term implications for rural India.

Published Paper   E-Certificate

"From Subsistence to Commercialization: Agrarian Economy and Peasant Distress under Colonial Rule", IJSDR - International Journal of Scientific Development and Research (www.IJSDR.org), ISSN:2455-2631, Vol.6, Issue 9, page no.179-181, September-2021, Available :https://ijsdr.org/papers/IJSDR2109029.pdf

Volume 6 Issue 9, September-2021

Pages : 179-181

Paper Reg. ID: IJSDR_309677

Published Paper Id: IJSDR2109029

Downloads: 000123

Research Area: Medical Science All

Country: V.R.A.L. Govt. Girls Degree College Bareilly, (UP), Uttar Pradesh, India

Published Paper PDF: https://ijsdr.org/papers/IJSDR2109029

Published Paper URL: https://ijsdr.org/viewpaperforall?paper=IJSDR2109029

ISSN: 2455-2631 | IMPACT FACTOR: 9.15 Calculated By Google Scholar | ESTD YEAR: 2016

An International Scholarly Open Access Journal, Peer-Reviewed, Refereed Journal Impact Factor 9.15 Calculate by Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar | AI-Powered Research Tool, Multidisciplinary, Monthly, Multilanguage Journal Indexing in All Major Database & Metadata, Citation Generator

Publisher: IJSDR(IJ Publication) Janvi Wave

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License and The Open Definition