70ᵗʰ B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2024

What was the main economic basis of the triangular trade between India, China, and England?

aSilk
bOpium✓ Correct
cBlack pepper
dMore than one of the above

Explanation

The main basis of trade between India, China, and England was opium, tea, and cloth. The British East India Company established a monopoly over opium cultivation in regions such as Bengal and Bihar, compelled Indian farmers to cultivate opium, and exported it to China to reduce the trade imbalance. Britain needed tea, porcelain (crockery) and silk from China in large quantities. Therefore, as per the options, opium was the main economic basis of this trade.

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