Deindustrialisation was the result of:

The correct answer is India's industry not being able to adjust to modern industrial production.

Key Points

• Deindustrialisation in India refers to the decline of traditional industries, especially handicrafts and textiles, during the British colonial period.
• Indian industries could not compete with the cheap, machine-made goods imported from Britain, leading to a loss of demand for domestic products.
• The lack of modernization and adaptation to industrial production methods caused traditional industries to become uncompetitive.
• This economic shift forced many artisans and craftsmen to abandon their traditional occupations and take up agriculture or other low-income jobs.

Additional Information

• An effort by the colonial rulers to destroy India's economy: While colonial policies were exploitative, the primary aim of the British was not to destroy India's economy but to create a colonial economy that served British interests. This included sourcing raw materials from India and selling British-manufactured goods in Indian markets.
• Lack of scientific and technical education in India: India indeed lacked widespread access to scientific and technical education during the colonial period, but this was a result rather than the cause of deindustrialisation. The British focused on creating a clerical workforce rather than promoting industrial skills.
• India not having easy access to petroleum sources: This is unrelated to deindustrialisation in the 18th and 19th centuries since the petroleum industry and its role in industrialization became significant only in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.