Write a note to explain the effect of the following: a. The British government’s decision to abolish the Corn Laws. b. The coming of rinderpest to Africa. c. The death of men of working age in Europe because of the World War. d. The Great Depression on the Indian economy. e. The decision of MNCs to relocate production to Asian countries.

1. The British government’s decision to abolish the Corn Laws was due to pressure from the landed groups, who were unhappy with the high price of food and the cheap inflow of agricultural products from Australia and America. As a result, many English farmers left their profession and migrated to towns and cities. Some went overseas. This indirectly led to global agriculture and rapid urbanisation, a prerequisite of industrial growth.
2. Rinderpest (a fast-spreading disease of cattle plague) arrived in Africa in the late 1880s. It had a terrifying impact on people’s livelihoods and the local economy. It started in East Africa and soon spread to other parts of the continent. Within five years, it reached the Cape of Good Hope (Africa’s Southernmost tip), by which it had killed 90 % of the cattle population in that part of Africa. It spread through infected cattle imported from British Asia to feed the Italian soldiers invading Eritrea in East Africa. Using this situation to their advantage, colonising nations conquered and subdued Africa by monopolising scarce cattle resources to force Africans into the labour market. The Africans were forced to work for a wage due to the loss of their livelihood because of the effect of Rinderpest.
3. The First World War was the first modern industrial war. It saw the use of machine guns, tanks, aircraft, chemical weapons etc., on a massive scale. To fight such a war, millions of soldiers had to be recruited from around the world and moved to the frontlines on large ships and trains. The scale of death and destruction was unlike any other conflict in the modern era. Most of the killed and maimed were men of working age; the deaths and injuries of these men drastically reduced the able-bodied workforce in Europe. With fewer members within the family, household incomes declined after the war. Thus, women stepped in to do the jobs that were earlier done by men. It increased the role of women and led to a demand for equal status in society. It made the feminist movement even stronger.
4. In the nineteenth century, colonial India had become an exporter of agricultural goods and an importer of manufactures. The impact of the Great Depression on India was felt, especially in the agricultural sector. It was evident that the Indian economy was closely becoming integrated into the global economy. India was a British colony and exported agricultural goods and imported manufactured goods. As international prices crashed, so did the prices in India. Wheat prices in India fell by 50 % between 1928 and 1934.
5. Wages were relatively low in Asian countries like China. Thus, they became lucrative destinations for investment by foreign MNCs competing to dominate world markets. The relocation of industry to low-wage countries stimulated world trade and capital flow.

The impact of MNC’s decision to relocate production to Asian Countries was as follows:

1. It provided a cheap source of labour for MNCs.
2. It stimulated world trade and increased capital inflow in Asian countries.
3. The local population had a greater choice of goods and services along with prospects of greater employment opportunities for them.