The staple commodities of export by the English East India Company from Bengal in the middle of the 18th century were
[amp_mcq option1=”Raw cotton, oil-seeds and opium” option2=”Sugar, salt, zinc and lead” option3=”Copper, silver, gold, spices and tea” option4=”Cotton, silk, saltpetre and opium” correct=”option4″]
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2018
In the mid-18th century, particularly after gaining significant political influence in Bengal (like post-Battle of Plassey 1757), the English East India Company dramatically increased its exports from the region.
The staple commodities of export by the EIC from Bengal during this period included textiles (cotton and silk fabrics), saltpetre (potassium nitrate, essential for gunpowder), and increasingly, opium. Bengal was a major producer of silk, cotton, and saltpetre. Opium, while initially traded, became a massive export commodity, especially towards China, funding the purchase of Chinese goods like tea and silk.