Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, plantation workers in Assam were legally not permitted to leave the tea gardens without permission, which was rarely granted. They were essentially confined to the plantations, cut off from their villages.

This reveals that colonial labour control was coercive and legally enforced — workers were not free labourers but were bound to the plantations by law. The state used legislation to serve the economic interests of British planters, stripping workers of basic mobility rights. This shows how colonialism exploited labour through legal mechanisms, not merely economic pressure.

Source: Chapter 2, Section 2.3 — Swaraj in the Plantations

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• The Inland Emigration Act of 1859 is the key fact examiners look for — name it precisely.
• The answer must link the restriction to colonial economic interests (British tea planters needed captive labour).
• "Nature of colonial labour control" = coercive, legally enforced, prioritised planter profits over workers' rights. Mention all three angles briefly.
• Avoid retelling the full story of what happened during the movement; focus on why they couldn't leave and what it reveals.