The Raj 1858-1890

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The Raj 1858-1890

Advantages

  • The British invested in Infrastructure- built 20,000 miles of railways by 1890.
  • Britain offered markets for agriculture- by 1871 there was 295 tea plantations compared to 1 in 1851.
  • The British improved agriculture- they introduced irrigation systems and land improvements.

Disadvantages

  • The British used the railways in the interest of British trade, commerce and defence
  • But this encouraged higher specialised crops which created famine as they were no longer used for food production.
  • Agricultural development was used in the interest of Britain only 6% of the land was irrigated.

Evaluation

The Raj made sure that improvements in India were used for Britain's benefit. However, this did benefit the Indian population as it helped to modernise the country and helped to expand trade. 

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