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SAI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL


                                                         STD VIII


                                       CH- 3 RULING THE COUNTRYSIDE

                                                         NOTES



               India's Role in Indigo Cultivation

                     India's climate and soil were ideal for indigo cultivation.

                     By 1810, approximately 95% of indigo imported by Britain originated from
                       India, especially Bengal .


               Economic Opportunities and British Involvement


                     The profitability of indigo attracted many British officials and entrepreneurs
                       to invest in its cultivation.
                     Some Company officials resigned to become indigo planters, capitalizing on
                       the booming trade


               Systems of Indigo Cultivation


                   1.  Nij System:
                          o  Planters cultivated indigo on lands they directly owned or controlled.
                          o  Challenges included limited land availability and high labor costs
                   2.  Ryoti System:


                     Farmers (ryots) were contracted to grow indigo on their lands.
                     Planters provided loans (advances) to ryots, binding them to indigo
                       cultivation.
                     Ryots faced exploitation due to low prices for indigo and high-interest loans


               Consequences and Resistance


                     The oppressive practices led to widespread dissatisfaction among Indian
                       farmers.
                     This culminated in the Indigo Rebellion of 1859, where ryots protested

                       against the planters' exploitation
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