Question 1

Question 2How did the East India Company procure regular supplies of cotton and silk textiles from Indian weavers?

Accepted Answer

Earlier, the East India Company had found it difficult to ensure a regular supply of goods for export. The French, Dutch, Portuguese as well as the local traders competed in the market to secure woven cloth. So the weaver and supply merchants could bargain and try selling the produce to the best buyer. However, once the East India Company established political power, it could assert a monopoly right to trade. It proceeded to develop a system of management and control that would eliminate competition, control costs, and ensure regular supplies of cotton and silk goods. Following steps were taken:Company tried to eliminate the existing traders and brokers connected with the cloth trade, and establish a more direct control over the weaver by appointing gomastha a paid servant called to supervise weavers, collect supplies, and examine the quality of cloth.Company prevented its weavers from dealing with other buyers. One way of doing this was through the system of advances. Once an order was placed, the weavers were given loans to purchase the raw material for their production. Those who took loans had to hand over the cloth they produced to the gomastha. They could not take it to any other trader.

Question 2

Question 3Imagine that you have been asked to write an article for an encyclopedia on Britain and the history of cotton. Write your piece using information from the entire chapter.

Accepted Answer

Cotton, the versatile and ubiquitous fabric, has played a significant role in British history, shaping its industry, society, and even its global influence. From its humble beginnings as an imported luxury to becoming the cornerstone of the Industrial Revolution, the story of cotton in Britain is intricately linked with innovation, empire, and social change.Early Introduction of CottonCotton's journey to Britain began in the 17th century, brought in by the East India Company. Initially regarded as a luxurious and exotic fabric, cotton was a symbol of status and wealth. The high cost and limited supply restricted its widespread use.The Coming Up of the FactoryThe Industrial Revolution ushered in a transformative era for the British cotton industry. In 1760, Britain was importing 2.5 million pounds of raw cotton to feed its cotton industry. By 1787, this import soared to 22 million pounds. Richard Arkwright created the cotton mill bringing the entire production process together under one roof and management. Inventions like the spinning jenny (1764) and the power loom (1784) revolutionized production, making cotton affordable and accessible to the masses. Cotton was now the leading sector in the first phase of industrialisation up to the 1840s. The demand for raw cotton soared, leading Britain to source it from its colonies in the Americas and India.The Rise of CottonopolisFueled by innovation and cheap labour, cotton mills mushroomed in northern England, particularly in Lancashire, which earned the nickname "Cottonopolis." Cities like Manchester became hubs of industry, attracting migrants seeking work and transforming the social landscape. However, the rapid growth came at a human cost, with harsh working conditions and exploitation plaguing mill workers.The Role of the British EmpireThe consolidation of East India Company power in India slowly led to its control over Indian market. British cotton industries had not yet expanded and Indian fine textiles were in great demand in Europe. However, once the East India Company established political power, it could assert a monopoly right to trade. Soon it was in control of exports of cotton from India and it also used India as its market for factory made cheap products. While the British cotton industry undoubtedly benefited from India's resources and markets, the impact on India was largely negative.ConclusionCotton's story in Britain is a tapestry woven with threads of innovation, exploitation, and transformation. It reflects the nation's industrial might, its imperial reach, and the evolving social fabric of its people.

Question 3

Question 4Why did industrial production in India increase during the First World War?

Accepted Answer

The increase in industrial production in India during the First World War was fueled by disruptions in global trade and the strategic needs of the British Empire. With British mills busy with war production to meet the needs of the army, Manchester imports into India declined. Suddenly, Indian mills had a vast home market to supply. As the war prolonged, Indian factories were called upon to supply war needs: jute bags, cloth for army uniforms, tents and leather boots, horse and mule saddles and a host of other items. New factories were set up and old ones ran multiple shifts. Many new workers were employed and everyone was made to work longer hours. Therefore, the war led to an increase in industrial production.

Question 4

Question 5On a map of Asia, find and draw the sea and land links of the textile trade from India to Central Asia, West Asia and Southeast Asia.

Accepted Answer

Below map shows the sea and land links of the textile trade from India to Central Asia, West Asia and Southeast Asia:

Question 5

Question 1Explain the following:(a) Women workers in Britain attacked the Spinning Jenny.(b) In the seventeenth century merchants from towns in Europe began employing peasants and artisans within the villages.(c) The port of Surat declined by the end of the eighteenth century.(d) The East India Company appointed gomasthas to supervise weavers in India.

Accepted Answer

(a) The Spinning Jenny was opposed by British women workers because it created a fear of losing jobs. It sped up the spinning process and, as a result, reduced labour demand. They had been surviving on hand spinning up until now, but the introduction of efficient and fast new machine was ready to make them jobless. Therefore, women workers in Britain attacked the Spinning Jenny.(b) With the expansion of world trade and the acquisition of colonies in different parts of the world, the demand for goods began growing. In the seventeenth century urban crafts and trade guilds were powerful. These were associations of producers that trained craftspeople, maintained control over production, regulated competition and prices, and restricted the entry of new people into the trade. Rulers granted different guilds the monopoly right to produce and trade in specific products. It was therefore difficult for new merchants to set up business in towns. That is why the the seventeenth century merchants from towns in Europe began employing peasants and artisans within the villages to meet the international demands.(c) Before industrialisation, Indian silk and cotton goods dominated the international market in textiles. Surat on Gujarat coast was one of the main pre-colonial ports through which a vibrant sea trade operated. By the 1750s, the European companies gradually gained power by securing a variety of concessions from local courts, then the monopoly rights to trade. This resulted in a decline of the old ports of Surat. Exports from these ports of Surat and Hooghly fell dramatically, the credit that had financed the earlier trade began drying up, and the local bankers slowly went bankrupt. In the last years of the seventeenth century, the gross value of trade that passed through Surat had been Rs 16 million. By the 1740s it had slumped to Rs 3 million.(d) The East India Company proceeded to develop a system of management and control that would eliminate competition, control costs, and ensure regular supplies of cotton and silk goods. Therefore, the Company tried to eliminate the existing traders and brokers connected with the cloth trade, and established a more direct control over the weaver. It appointed a paid servant called the gomasthas to supervise weavers, collect supplies, and examine the quality of cloth. The new gomasthas were outsiders, with no long-term social link with the village. They acted arrogantly, marched into villages with sepoys and peons, and punished weavers for delays in supply – often beating and flogging them.

The Age of Industrialisation

Discuss

Intext Activity

Write in brief