Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Economic condition : Beginning of the 19th century

The first result of British administration was to damage the old system of administration, such as, existence of feudal families, their army, men and weapons  and their maids and servants. The hundred  years  of feudalistic society to be changed to new system. The set of artisans to be destroyed to take over the market flooded with British goods. At the begining of the 19th century Indian clothes were imported to England. This was not organised by any company. It was organised by the employees of the company. From the 19th century the import of clothes to England was stopped. In place of clothes the threads prepared by the weavers in India were imported. From  the end of the 18th century the cultivation of seeds, production of salt and lime were stopped. The cottage industry was gradually destroyed, the artisans were tortured, cut their thumb finger and did all sorts of nuisance.
The situation in decaan was a bit different one. The cultivation land was spoilt due to different wars. Therefore, agrobased industry was decreased. The irrigation system was also broke down.
Moreover, before 1818, Madras Presidency was constituted with several small kingdoms where the artisans could take their shelter. Due to the destruction of different armies of the feudals in India, the previous agents who supplied foods and other important goods were replced by fresh set of agents nd traders.in Madras and Bombay.
India was gradually entering into a colony of British and the policy of the East India Company was formulated in accordance with the expectation of the Burgeoise of Great Britain. In 1773 the Parliament first formulated rules for governing  India. As a result , it was not the Company  but the Parliament took the responsibility of  appointing Governor  general , Bengal Councillors, and the members of the Supreme court.
The Whig also stood against the East India Company. They said the alliance  between th king and the company was becoming terror to the freedom of Great Britain. The Progressives also joined the campaign.They had observed that the company's activity was based on bribe and became full of malpractices.
In 1784, during settlement of contract with the king and the east India Company the whig placed Fox bill in the Parliament which was turned down. Fox himself stood for the post of Prime Ministers but he he was defeated by Pitt. In 1784, Pitt's India Act was passed in the parliament.
Pitt's India Act of 1784 was the enactment of the British Parliament to bring the administration of the British East India Company under the control of th British Government. It was necessary to address the shortcoming of the East India Company Act ( also known as the Regulating act of 1773 which was enacted prim arily to weed-out corruption in the East India Company.