Consider the following statements about Indian agriculture under colonial rule:
(A) Agricultural productivity was low, though the total area under cultivation expanded.
(B) Zamindars who failed to deposit the fixed revenue by the fixed dates were to lose their rights.
(C) Low levels of technology and negligible use of fertilisers added to the low productivity.
(D) Tenants and sharecroppers had the incentive, but not the resources, to invest in agriculture.
(E) Some areas showed a relatively higher yield of cash crops due to commercialisation of agriculture.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Four
(A) Agricultural productivity was low, though the total area under cultivation expanded. — Correct. Output grew a little only because more land was cultivated; productivity stayed low.
(B) Zamindars who failed to deposit the fixed revenue by the fixed dates were to lose their rights. — Correct. The terms of the revenue settlement fixed dates for paying revenue.
(C) Low levels of technology and negligible use of fertilisers added to the low productivity. — Correct. Low technology, poor irrigation and negligible fertiliser use kept yields down.
(D) Tenants and sharecroppers had the incentive, but not the resources, to invest in agriculture. — Incorrect. They had neither resources and technology nor incentive to invest.
(E) Some areas showed a relatively higher yield of cash crops due to commercialisation of agriculture. — Correct. Commercialisation raised the yield of cash crops in some areas, though it did not help the farmers much.
NCERT (2026-27): “1.3 Agricultural Sector … Agricultural productivity became low though, in absolute terms, the sector experienced some growth due to the expansion of the aggregate area under cultivation. …” “… To a very great extent, the terms of the revenue settlement were also responsible for the zamindars adopting such an attitude; dates for depositing specified sums of revenue were fixed, failing which the zamindars were to lose their rights. Besides this, low levels of technology, lack of irrigation facilities and negligible use of fertilisers, all added up to aggravate the plight of the farmers and contributed to the dismal level of agricultural productivity. There was, of course, some evidence of a relatively higher yield of cash crops in certain areas of the country due to commercialisation of agriculture.” “… While a small section of farmers changed their cropping pattern from food crops to commercial crops, a large section of tenants, small farmers and sharecroppers neither had resources and technology nor had incentive to invest in agriculure.” |