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Which of the following is a correct statement about the effect of British policy on India's traditional handicraft industries, such as cotton textiles?

Cheap British machine-made goods entered India at low or no duty, while Indian handicrafts faced high tariffs in Britain. This discriminatory tariff policy destroyed markets for Indian artisans, causing the decline of traditional handicrafts and de-industrialisation of India during colonial rule.

  1. AHeavy export duties on British goods protected Indian handicrafts
  2. BImports of cheap machine-made British goods with low or no duties, together with high tariffs on Indian goods entering Britain, caused decline of traditional handicrafts and de-industrialisationCorrect
  3. CIndian handicrafts expanded rapidly as British demand for them grew steadily throughout the nineteenth century
  4. DThe colonial government supported handicrafts with subsidies and modern machinery

Explanation

Britain's tariff policy was discriminatory: Indian handicraft exports faced heavy duties in Britain, while British machine-made goods entered India at minimal duty. Indian artisans lost both foreign and domestic markets, causing de-industrialisation. The claim that handicrafts were protected or subsidised contradicts this.

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