4.13 Railroad and Communication Network
- Started to Serve interest of empire, integrate IN market to B imports
- in 1853 by Dalhousie
- & 5% guaranteed interest on invest
- Free land 99 yrs
- 1858 - 1869 invest of 70 mil pounds
Views
Sabyasachi Bhattacharya : railways were instance of private enterprise at public risk
Problems with it
Connected internal market to ports but no interconnection Less freight charges for bulk manufactured goods from ports to interior High tech areas never Indianised Selection of priority areas for public investment to inc profitability
- Social cultural impacts were unintended consequences.
- Machinery, rail lines, coal production etc improved.
- by 1947, 65, 217 km rail track covered 78% total area.
PYQs
- "Railway development in India provides an interesting instance of private enterprise at public risk." Comment. [2010, 20m]
- Railroad and Communication network
- "The railways, instead of serving as the catalyst of an industrial revolution as in Western Europe and the USA, acted in India as 'the catalyst of complete colonization'."- Examine. [2012, 20m]
- Railroad and Communication network
- "The British railway construction policy in India benefited British economy in the nineteenth century." Critically examine. [2017, 10m]
- Serve interest of empire, integrate IN market to B imports