Socio-economic situation in the 18th century

Published on 01 Oct 2025

In the 18th century, India was rife with blaring discrimination and poor progress economically, socially and culturally.

• Political

• Oppression by the officials: It was due to poor oversight by the centre that was gripped with internal strifes

• British consolidation: British powers started consolidating their territories to protect their supremacy.

• Example: Policy of Subsidiary alliance, Ring fence and Doctrine of Lapse.

• Fragmentation and Turmoil: The emergence of multiple foci of power caused uncertainty and insatiable administration.

• Poor participation of Indians in administration: The nobility lacked participation of Indians which caused a divided administration.

• Economic

• Agriculture: Agriculture was technologically backwards due to exploitative land revenue policy, Oppression by the Zamindars and Moneylenders, and alienation of lands. The commercialisation of agriculture 

• Trade and Industry: India was self-sufficient in both agricultural products and handicrafts. India did not import a lot of foreign goods but did have a considerable export which favored the domestic economy. The huge trade surplus was balanced by the import of gold and silver. 

• Example: This led to India being called the “sink of gold” by the Roman Philosopher Pliny the Elder.

• Poor Technology adoption: The Indian economy was technologically backward and stagnant due to very little capital left for investment after the drain of wealth.

• Social

• Hierarchical segregation of society: The society was divided based on castes and there existed extensive restrictions for the interactions between them.

• Example: Untouchability and restriction of inter-caste marriages was practiced throughout India 

• Women:

• The purdah system was practised which restricted the individual freedom of the women

• Sati was prevalent in Rajasthan,  Bengal and other parts of Northern India but more uncommon in the south.

• The conditions of widows were particularly pitiable as they were often ostracized and restricted from marrying anyone else. The lack of economic opportunities further the misery.

• Dowry and brideprice were practised extensively which led to the commodification of women as mere objects of exchange.

• Slavery: It was widely practised in the country and mostly women and children were affected

• Example: The slave trade was widespread, especially from African kingdoms such as Abyssinia.

• Cultural

• Exodus of Artisans: The decline of the Mughals led to the loss of patronage to the artisans. This led to the exodus of such professionals to other newly established courts such as Hyderabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Murshidabad, etc.

• Syncretisation: the Mughal art and architecture to that of the local indigenous ones.

• Example: Mughal miniature painting was adopted by the Rajput kings to document the court scenes.

• Painting: The departure of artists from Delhi was followed by the emergence of new schools of painting

• Example: Kangra and Rajputana school 

• Architecture: This period also witnessed widespread construction by newly emerged kingdoms such as Awadh, Rajputana, Bengal etc.

• Example: Bada Imambara in Lucknow, Pink city of Jaipur.

• Literature and Poetry: Literature was also focussed during this period primarily due to the patronage it received from the kings.

• Example: Shah Abdul Latif of Sindhi literature; Urdu poetry became a staple as it was used in daily social intercourse.

• Technological:

• Military technology: The military technology was backwards compared to that of the West and it remained so which led to the British success.

• Neglect of Science: Despite being one of the frontrunners in scientific discovery during ancient times, it is observed to be stagnant during this period as society fell into a creative rut. 

• Example: The caste system being justified based on the divine theory was largely acknowledged by the people.

• Status of Education: 

• Traditional learning: The education was mainly focussed on traditional values such as religion, law, Philosophy, etc. Moreover, there was inadequate focus on the physical and natural sciences leading to a  poorly structured informal education system.

• Example: Chathuspatis or Tols among Hindus and Madrasahs among Muslims.

• Restricted access: Formal education was accessible only to the higher caste and affluent sections of society.

• Example: Girls were restricted in having education mostly along with the lower castes. 

Tags:
History & Culture

Keywords:
Socio-economic situation in the 18th century Status of Education technology British consolidation mughals Zamindars sink of gold Untouchability sati widow purdah system Exodus of Artisans slavery Syncretisation Bada Imambara Rajputana school kangra school Chathuspatis Tol Madrasahs madrasa

Syllabus:
General Studies Paper 1

Topics:
Modern Indian History