Some traditional accounts of Indian economic history saw India's economy and society as unchanging. Which belief about economic transformation followed from this view?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → It began only with the advent of colonialism
Option (1) It began only with planned development after independence — Incorrect. These accounts did link the early post-independence years with further change in village economies. But they placed the beginning of change earlier, with colonialism, so planned development cannot be the start in their view.
Option (2) It began only with the advent of colonialism — Correct. Traditional accounts saw India's economy and society as unchanging before outside rule. So they believed economic transformation began only with the advent of colonialism, which brought the commercial money economy into village economies.
Option (3) It began only with the Green Revolution — Incorrect. The Green Revolution was a farm-technology drive that came after independence. The traditional view placed the start of change much earlier, under colonial rule.
Option (4) It began only with liberalisation policies after 1991 — Incorrect. Liberalisation after 1991 is a recent stage of change in India's economy. It cannot be the beginning in this view, which dated the start of change to colonialism.
NCERT (2026-27): “Caste-based markets and trading networks in precolonial and colonial India |