Explanation
Impact of Industrial Revolution on India during the first half of 19th century-
● The Government of India now followed a policy of free trade or unrestricted entry of British goods.
● Indian handicrafts were exposed to the fierce and unequal competition of the machine-made products of Britain and faced extinction. India had to admit British goods free or at nominal tariff rates. The Government of India also tried to increase the number of purchasers of British goods by following a policy of fresh conquests and direct occupation of protected states like Awadh. Hence, Statement A. is correct.
● British goods were forced upon her without paying any duty; and the foreign manufacturer employed the arm of political injustice to keep down and ultimately strangle a competitor with whom he could not have contended on equal terms. So statement D. is incorrect.
● Indian hand-made goods were unable to compete against the much cheaper products of British mills which had been rapidly improving their productive capacity by using inventions and a wider use of steam power. Statement B. is incorrect.
● The free trade imposed on India was, however, one-sided. While the doors of India were thus thrown wide open to foreign goods, Indian products which could still compete with British products were subjected to heavy import duties on entry into Britain.
● Railway lines were established in the second half of the 19th century (1854), so statement C. is incorrect.