Who demanded the creation of a department of agriculture for the growing of cotton in India?

Correct option is D

The correct answer is (d) Manchester Cotton Supply Association

Explanation:

• The Manchester Cotton Supply Association was formed in 1857.
• Its primary objective was to encourage the cultivation of cotton in all parts of the world, especially in India, to reduce the British textile industry's reliance on American cotton.
• The association strongly lobbied the British government to improve infrastructure in India and demanded the creation of a dedicated Department of Agriculture to systematically promote and improve cotton growing.

• The outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861 severely disrupted cotton supplies to Britain, leading to a massive increase in demand for Indian cotton.
• The British East India Company and later the British Crown took several measures to commercialize agriculture in India to feed the industries in England.

• While London was a major financial hub, the primary driving force for cotton supply was centered in the industrial hub of Manchester.

• This was a broader trade organization representing various business interests, not exclusively focused on cotton cultivation or the specific demand for an agriculture department in India.

• The East India Association was founded by Dadabhai Naoroji in 1866 to discuss Indian matters and present Indian grievances to the British public, not an industrial lobby group for cotton.