Study of colonial indigo cultivation shows which wider problem?

Correct answer: Pressure of forced production and market control on peasants

Colonial indigo cultivation illustrates how colonial economic systems could place farmers under pressure. Indigo was a cash crop used for dye, and in some regions cultivators were compelled through contracts, advances, and coercive arrangements to grow it instead of food crops. They often faced low returns, debt, and loss of control over land use. This makes indigo an example of both forced production and market power.

Option B captures the wider problem: peasants were pressured to produce for colonial markets, while buyers and planters controlled important terms. The issue was not voluntary industrial development, urban self-government, or the end of maritime trade. Peasant resistance to indigo cultivation also shows that rural communities challenged exploitative arrangements. Therefore, option B is correct.