CBSE
Class 10
Class 12
Opium production in India is directly linked to the British trade with China. The western merchants wanted to balance their trade with China and hence searched for a commodity that could sell in China. The English bought tea from China and the Chinese bought opium from them.
The cultivators were unwilling to produce opium for various reasons :
The British discovered that opium produced in British territories was declining whereas in territories not under British rule the production was increasing. Traders were selling opium directly to China. This forced the British to establish its monopoly over this trade.