Question

Why were ryots reluctant to grow indigo?

Answer 1

Hint: In the late eighteenth century the British decided to force peasants to grow crops such as opium and indigo. The production of Indigo was famous in Italy, France and Britain and only a small amount could reach India which made it expensive. Its rich blue colour made it highly expensive. Thus the company decided to expand the cultivation of Indigo in India.

Complete answer: By the late eighteenth century indigo cultivation expanded in Bengal. About 30 per cent of the indigo was now being exported to Britain from India, soon it rose to 95 per cent. Over the years many company officials left their jobs and indulged in the indigo business. There were two main systems of Indigo cultivation in India: nij and ryoti.
-Under nij system, peasants grow indigo either on the lands they control or rent it from zamindar.
-Under the ryoti system the planters forced the ryots to cultivate indigo and sign a contract or an agreement. Under this system, the company provides ryots with loan, seeds and drill to grow indigo. The condition was to grow indigo and handover it to the officials, then a new loan will be granted. Soon the ryots realised the vicious cycle of the loan system and the paid amount was less. There were other problems too such as, no other crop could now be grown on the soil where indigo has been cultivated. Which makes ryots depend on one single type of crop. In 1859 thousands of ryots protested against this oppressive system and refused to indigo. There were hartals, attacks on indigo factories and boycotting of planters. With the help of local zamindars, they rebelled against this system and finally the system was collapsed in Bengal.

Note: 1917 marked the beginning of the movement against indigo planters by Mahatma Gandhi. When indigo cultivation started in Bengal, India became the biggest exporter of indigo in the market.