Question

Identify the artificial waterway during colonial rule that served as a highway between India and Britain.

Answer 1

Step 1: Study the map:
The map shows two sea routes from London in Britain to Mumbai in India.
One route runs through the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. It is marked as 7,200 miles.
The other route goes all the way around Africa through the Atlantic and Indian oceans. It is marked as 12,300 miles.

Step 2: Find the artificial waterway:
The short route passes through a man-made channel that joins the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. The map shows this as a dark spot between Africa and Asia.
This channel is the Suez Canal in Egypt. It served as a highway between Britain and India during colonial rule.

Step 3: Rule out other canals:
The Panama Canal joins the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, so it does not lie on this route.
No other artificial waterway links the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

Final Answer:
The artificial waterway is the Suez Canal.

Answer 2

Step 1: Recall which waterway is meant:
The map in this question shows the Suez Canal, the artificial route between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.
The question asks the year in which this canal was officially opened to ships of all nations.

Step 2: Recall the dates:
Work on the canal began in 1859 and took about ten years.
It was officially opened for international navigation in 1869.

Step 3: Why the year matters in Indian economic history:
After 1869, ships could go from Britain to India through the canal instead of sailing around Africa.
This changed the cost and time of trade between the two countries.

Final Answer:
The Suez Canal was officially opened for international navigation in 1869.

Answer 3

Step 1: Read the distances on the map:
The map shows two routes from London to Mumbai.
The route through the Mediterranean and Red Sea (the Suez Canal route) is 7,200 miles.
The route around Africa is 12,300 miles.
The difference is 12,300 - 7,200 = 5,100 miles.

Step 2: Point 1: a direct and shorter trade route:
The canal gave ships between Britain and India a direct and shorter path.
They no longer had to sail around Africa, so about 5,100 miles of travel was saved.
Less distance also meant less time at sea and less cost on every voyage.

Step 3: Point 2: stronger British control over trade:
Lower transport costs made it cheaper for Britain to buy raw materials from India and to sell goods here.
The easier access to the Indian market tightened British control over the foreign trade of India.

Final Answer:
Artificial waterways such as the Suez Canal gave a direct route that cut about 5,100 miles, lowered transport cost and made the Indian market easier to reach, so British control over the foreign trade of India grew.