Q- Why were Indian farmers reluctant to grow opium?
Answer- The British were heavily dependent on China for tea imports. They paid the Chinese authority in the silver coins or bullion as they do not allow foreign goods to be imported.
This trade was draining the treasury of Britain so they found a stop in the exchange of silver and bullion in opium and started exchanging opium for tea. As maximum people of China were addicted of opium so they import lots of opium from Britain. For getting excessive opium the British forced Indian farmers to plant opium as more as possible.