Q. Which one among the following statements appropriately defines the term ‘Drain Theory’ as propounded by Dadabhai Naoroji in his work ‘Poverty and Un–British Rule in India’?
(a) That a part of India’s national wealth or total annual product was being exported to Britain for which India got no material returns
(b) That the resources of India were being utilised in the interest of Britain
(c) That the British industrialists were being given a opportunity to invest in India under the protection of the imperial power
(d) That the British goods were being imported to India making the country poorer day by day
Ans: (a) That a part of India’s national wealth or total annual product was being exported to Britain for which India got no material returns
Explanation: The correct answer is (a) That a part of India’s national wealth or total annual product was being exported to Britain for which India got no material returns.
The term ‘Drain Theory’ as propounded by Dadabhai Naoroji in his work ‘Poverty and Un-British Rule in India’ refers to the concept that a significant portion of India’s national wealth or total annual product was being drained or exported to Britain without providing adequate material returns to India.
According to Naoroji, the British colonial rule in India resulted in the economic exploitation of the country. The wealth generated by India, including its resources, goods, and labor, was being extracted and sent to Britain, which contributed to India’s impoverishment and hindered its economic development.
Naoroji argued that the drain of wealth from India was facilitated through various means, including heavy taxation, unequal trade policies, and the extraction of resources without adequate compensation. He highlighted the negative impact of this economic drain on India’s poverty and underdevelopment.
Naoroji’s Drain Theory played a significant role in shaping the discourse on British colonial exploitation in India and provided a foundation for understanding the economic consequences of colonial rule.
Therefore, option (a) correctly defines the term ‘Drain Theory’ as propounded by Dadabhai Naoroji, stating that a part of India’s national wealth or total annual product was being exported to Britain without material returns to India.
