Village self-sufficiency
Also called: Self-sufficient village economy · Topic: Indian Economy on the Eve of Independence · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 1 "Indian Economy on the Eve of Independence"
Meaning
Village self-sufficiency means the Indian village economy produced most of what it needed for itself. Farmers grew food, and local artisans such as weavers, potters and blacksmiths made cloth, pots and tools. The village depended very little on outside markets. Under colonial rule, the railways weakened this. They brought in cheap British goods and pushed farmers towards crops grown for sale.
Example
Once a railway line reached a district, factory-made British cloth arrived cheaply, and the village weaver lost customers. Farmers began growing cotton or jute to sell for cash instead of food for the village. So the village came to depend on distant markets and prices.
Don't confuse with
- Self-reliance: this was independent India's national policy after 1947 of producing goods at home and cutting imports. Village self-sufficiency was the old self-contained life of a single village.