Q.Give a quantitative appraisal of India's demographic profile during the colonial period.
You're viewing a preview — the full solution, concept, methods & PYQ mapping are locked.
Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Colonial-period census data paints a picture of a largely stagnant, poor, agriculture-dependent population: high birth/death rates, very low literacy and life expectancy, and heavy infant mortality.
India's first complete, synchronous census was conducted in 1881, and thereafter censuses were held every ten years. This decennial data allows a quantitative appraisal of India's demographic profile under colonial rule:
-
Population growth: Overall population growth remained slow through most of the period; in fact, between 1911 and 1921 the decadal growth rate was negative, largely due to famines and epidemics (notably the 1918–19 influenza epidemic).
-
Birth and death rates: Both were very high throughout the period (crude birth rate around 48 and death rate around 40–48 per thousand in parts of the period), reflecting poor health care, sanitation, and widespread famine/epidemic-driven mortality spikes — this is the classic "high birth rate, high death rate" first stage of demographic transition.
-
Infant mortality rate: Extremely high, at around 218 per thousand live births — a stark indicator of poor maternal and child healthcare.
-
Life expectancy: Very low, at around 32 years, reflecting widespread disease, malnutrition, and lack of medical facilities.
-
Literacy rate: Very low, under 16% overall by the time of Independence (1947), with female literacy below 8% — reflecting the colonial administration's near-total neglect of mass education.
…
Unlock everything free for 14 days
- Full step-by-step solutions
- Concept-first explanations
- Methods, shortcuts & mistakes
- PYQ mapping + timed mock tests
Full access for 14 days. No credit card required.