AI-generated practice question — model-generated for extra practice, not a previous-year CBSE board question.
India's colonial role as an exporter of agricultural goods and importer of manufactures meant the Great Depression hit different sections unevenly.
Impact on peasants: As global prices crashed, wheat prices in India fell by 50% between 1928 and 1934. However, the colonial government refused to reduce revenue demands, forcing peasants deeper into debt. Bengal's jute growers were worst hit — raw jute prices crashed over 60% as gunny exports collapsed. Peasants mortgaged lands, sold jewellery, and exhausted savings. India even became an exporter of gold, which aided Britain's recovery but brought no relief to Indian farmers.
Impact on urban dwellers: Falling prices actually benefited those with fixed incomes — salaried employees and town-dwelling landowners — as everything cost less. Industrial investment also grew due to government tariff protection.
Global connection: India's deep integration into the world economy meant a crisis in the US and Europe instantly transmitted through falling export prices and collapsing trade, which halved between 1928 and 1934. This rural unrest eventually fuelled Gandhi's Civil Disobedience Movement in 1931.
Source: Chapter 3, Section 3.5 — India and the Great Depression
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Examiners look for three things here: (1) specific data — 50% wheat price fall, 60% jute price crash, halving of trade; (2) the contrast between peasants and urban fixed-income earners with a clear reason for each; (3) the link to India's global economic role as a colonial raw-material exporter. Mentioning gold exports and the Civil Disobedience Movement adds depth without padding. Avoid generic statements — use the numbers from the textbook to show precision.