4.13 Railroad and Communication Network

Railroad and Communication Network

2020-04-27 15:04:54

  • 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

  **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

  1. "Railway development in India provides an interesting instance of private enterprise at public risk." Comment. [2010, 20m]
  1. "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]
  1. "The British railway construction policy in India benefited British economy in the nineteenth century." Critically examine. [2017, 10m]