Which of the following is FALSE re. the change in economic philosophy during the 19th c.? Which of the following is FALSE re. the change in economic philosophy during the 19th c.? By having India specialize in primary industries/ production and Britain in secondary ones, the plantation system was developed. Under the plantation system, Indian peasants were no longer self-sufficient in their subsistence. Mercantilism served merchant interests while free trade protected consumers. The production of raw goods such as tea and cotton were grown on English-owned estates worked by Indians on a wage basis