Who among the following said, ‘‘the armour of the isolated self-sufficient village was pierced by the steel rail, and its life blood ebbed away’’ ?

The correct answer is - D.H. Buchanan

Key Points

• D.H. Buchanan
  • D.H. Buchanan was a noted economic historian who extensively studied the impact of British colonial policies on Indian villages.
  • The statement highlights the transformative effect of railways introduced during British rule, which disrupted the self-sufficient village economy of India.
  • Railways facilitated the penetration of external markets and led to the erosion of the traditional village structure, which was once largely isolated.
  • Buchanan’s works provide an objective analysis of how industrialization and colonial policies reshaped rural India.

Additional Information

• Impact of Railways in Colonial India
  • The introduction of railways under British rule served as a tool for economic exploitation but also modernized transportation and communication.
  • Railways facilitated the export of raw materials such as cotton and jute from rural areas to international markets.
  • They disrupted the self-sufficient agrarian economy, exposing villages to global market forces and increasing dependence on external trade.
• Self-Sufficient Village Economy
  • Before colonial intervention, Indian villages were largely self-contained units with minimal interaction with external markets.
  • Villages were characterized by a barter system and local production, catering primarily to their own needs.
  • The British policies and infrastructural developments, including railways, fundamentally altered this traditional system.
• Economic Historians
  • Other notable economic historians like R.C. Dutt and Dadabhai Naoroji also analyzed the adverse impact of British policies on India.
  • R.C. Dutt highlighted the economic drain caused by British exploitation, while Dadabhai Naoroji coined the term “Drain of Wealth”.
  • Their works complement Buchanan’s analysis by providing broader perspectives on colonial economic policies.