CBSE - The Age of Industrialisation

Women workers in Britain attacked the Spinning Jenny because it speeded up the spinning process, and consequently, reduced labour demand. This caused a valid fear of unemployment among women working in the woollen industry. Till date, they had survived on hand spinning, but this was placed in peril by the new machine.

The trade and commerce guild controlled the market, raw materials, employees, and also production of goods in the towns. This created problems for merchants who wanted to increase production by employing more men. Therefore, they turned to peasants and artisans who lived in villages.

The port of Surat declined by the end of the eighteenth century on account of the growing power of European companies in trade with India. They secured many concessions from local courts as well as the monopoly rights to trade. This led to a decline of the old ports of Surat and Hoogly from where local merchants had operated. Exports slowed and local banks here went bankrupt.

The English East India Company appointed Gomasthas for:
→ To eliminate the existence of traders and brokers and establish a direct control over the weavers.
→ To eliminate weavers from dealing with other buyers by means of advances and control. In this manner, weavers who took loans and fees in advance were obligated to the British.

(a) At the end of the nineteenth century, 80 per cent of the total workforce in Europe was employed in the technologically advanced industrial sector.
► False

(b) The international market for fine textiles was dominated by India till the eighteenth century.
► True

(c) The American Civil War resulted in the reduction of cotton exports from India.
► False

(d) The introduction of the fly shuttle enabled handloom workers to improve their productivity.
► True

Proto-industrialisation is the phase of industrialisation that was not based on the factory system. Before the coming of factories, there was large-scale industrial production for an international market. This part of industrial history is known as proto-industrialisation.

Some industrialists in nineteenth-century Europe prefer hand labour over machines because:
→ Machines were costly, ineffective, difficult to repair, and needed huge capital investments.
→ Labour was available at low wages at that period of time.
→ In seasonal industries only seasonal labour was required.
→ Market demands of variety of designs and colour and specific type could not be fulfilled by machine made clothes. Intricate designs and colours could be done by human-skills only.
→ In Victorian age, the aristocrats and other upper class people preferred articles made by hand only. 

The English East India Company used different means to procure silk and cotton from the weavers:
→ Appointment of paid supervisors called Gomasthas. They also collected supplies and examined cloth quality of the weavers.
→ Prevention of Company weavers from dealing with other buyers through a system of advances and loans.

Britain and the History of Cotton

During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, merchants would trade with rural people in textile production. A clothier would buy wool from a wool stapler, carry it to the spinners, and then, take the yarn to the weavers, fuller and dyers for further levels of production. London was the finishing centre for these goods. This phase in British manufacturing history is known as proto-industrialisation. In this phase, factories were not an essential part of industry. What was present instead was a network of commercial exchanges.

The first symbol of the new era of factories was cotton. Its production increased rapidly in the late nineteenth century. Imports of raw cotton sky-rocketed from 2.5 million pounds in 1760 to 22 million pounds in 1787. This happened because of the invention of the cotton mill and new machines, and better management under one roof. Till 1840, cotton was the leading sector in the first stage of industrialisation.

Most inventions in the textile production sector were met with disregard and hatred by the workers because machines implied less hand labour and lower employment needs. The Spinning Jenny was one such invention. Women in the woollen industry opposed and sought to destroy it because it was taking over their place in the labour market.

Before such technological advancements, Britain imported silk and cotton goods from India in vast numbers. Fine textiles from India were in high demand in England. When the East India Company attained political power, they exploited the weavers and textile industry in India to its full potential, often by force, for the benefit of Britain. Later, Manchester became the hub of cotton production. Subsequently, India was turned into the major buyer of British cotton goods.

During the First World War, British factories were too busy providing for war needs. Hence, demand for Indian textiles rose once again. The history of cotton in Britain is replete with such fluctuations of demand and supply.

India witnessed increased industrial production during the First World War due to following reasons:
→ British industries became busy in producing and supplying war-needs. Hence, they stopped exporting British goods or clothes for colonial markets like that in India.
→ It was a good opportunity for Indian industries to fill in empty Indian markets with their products. It was done so. Therefore, industrial production in India increased.
→ Also the British colonial government asked Indian factories to supply the war needs like - jute bags, cloth or army uniforms, tents and leather boots, horse and mule saddle, etc.
→ The increased demands of variety of products led to the setting up of new factories and old ones increased their production.
→ Many new workers were employed and everyone was made to work longer hours.

Q.1: - Guilds were associations of-
 (a) Industrialization (b) Exporters
 (c) Traders (d) Producers

 Q.2: - Which of the following best defines a Jobber?
 (a) Employed by industrialists to get new recruits
 (b) Old trusted worker
 (c) Person of authority and power
 (d) Controlled lives of workers
 
Q.3: - First country to undergo industrial revolution is-
 (a) Japan (b) Britain (c) Germany (d) France
 
Q.4: - 18th Century India witnessed the decline of which port town?
 (a) Surat (b) Bombay (c) Calcutta (d) Madras
 
Q.5: - The paid servants of the East India Company were
 (a) Seth (b) Mamlatdar (c) Gomastha (d) Lambardar
 
Q.6: - Who devised the Spinning Jenny?
 (a) Samuel Luck (b) Richard Arkwright
 (c) James Hargreaves (d) James Watt.
 
Q.7: - When was the first cotton mill set up in India in?
 (a) 1814 (b) 1824 (c) 1854 (d) 1864
 
Q.8: - In India, the first cotton mill was set up in-
 (a) Madras (b) Bombay (c) Kanpur (d) Surat
 
Q.9: - What was the fly shuttle used for-
 (a) Washing (b) Weaving (c) Drying (d) Sowing
 
Q.10:- Who invented the steam engine-
 (a) James Watt (b) New Camen
(c) Richard Arkwright (d) None of the above 

Answer Key of Multiple Choice Questions
1. ( d ) 2. ( a ) 3. ( b ) 4. ( a ) 5. ( c ) 6. ( c ) 7. ( c ) 8. ( b ) 9. ( b ) 10. ( a )

First World War gave a great boost to the Indian Industries because of the following reasons-
1. The British mills became busy with the production of War materials so all its exports to India virtually stopped.
2. Suddenly Indian mills got clearance to produce different articles for the home market.
3. The Indian factories were called upon to supply various war related material like- Jute bags, clothes for uniforms, tents and leather boots for the forces and so on.

Industrialists usually employed a jobber to get new recruits. Very often the jobber was an old and trusted worker.
1. He got people from his village ensured them jobs, helped them settle in the city and provided them money in time of crisis.
2. Jobbers became persons with authority and power. He began demanding money and gifts for the favor he did and started controlling the lives of workers.

1. Shortage of raw material – as raw cotton exports from India increased the price of raw cotton shot up. Weavers in India were starved of supplies and forced to buy raw cotton at higher prices.
2. Clashes with Gomasthas- the Gomasthas acted arrogantly and punished weavers for delays in supply. So the weavers clashed with them.
3. System of Advances- The Britishers started the system of advances to regularizes the supply.The weavers eagerly took the advances in a hope to earn more but they failed to do so. They even started loosing small plots of land which they had earlier cultivated.

1. There is an angle of progress, bearing the flag of the new century and is gently perched on a wheel with wings symbolizing time.
2. The fight is taking into the future.
3. Floating about behind her are the sign of progress- Railway, Camera, Machines, Printing press and factory.

Main features of Proto Industrialization-
 1. Production was not based on factories.
 2. Large scale home based production for international market.
 3. Merchants move to country side and supplied money for artisans to produce for international market.
 4. It provided alternative source of income.
 5. Income from pro-industrial production supplemented their shrinking income from.
 6. Helped in fuller use of their family labour resources.
 7. Close relationship.

Advertisement of product – Advertisement make products appear desirable and necessary.
They try to shape the minds of people and create new needs. During the industrial age, advertisements have played a major role in expanding the market for products.
 2. Putting labels on the cloths bundles – The labels was needed to make the place of manufacture and the name of the company familiar to the buyer. When buyers saw ‘MADE IN MANCHESTER’ written in bold on a label. They would feel confident about buying the cloths.
 3. Images of Indian Gods gave approval to the goods being sold. Images of Krishna and Saraswati was intended to make the manufacture from a foreign land appear somewhat familiar to the Indian People.
 4. Printing Calendars to popularizes their products unlike newspapers and magazines, calendars were used even by people who could not read. They were hung in the tea shops and in poor people’s homes, just as much as in offices and in middle class houses.

Blessing of the Industrial Revolution –
 1. Production by machines has met the growing need of the growing population of the world.
 2. Only machines have made it possible for the mankind to meet the primary necessities of food, cloths and shelter
 3. Machines have relieved man of the drudgery of tiring and unpleasant jobs.
 4. Machines have brought more leisure.
 
 Harmful effects of Industrial Revolution-
 1. The industrial Revolution shattered the rural life by turning the farmers into landless labourers.
 2. Rural unemployment forced the unemployed farmers to migrate to cities in search of jobs
 3. The cities became overcrowded and many problems of insanitation and housing arose.
 4. The industrial Revolution gave birth to imperialism

1. No chance of bargaining – The weavers lost any chance of bargaining.
 2. Leasing of land – most of the weavers had to lease out the land and devote all their time to weaving.
 3. Dependency for food on others – most of the weavers after loosing their land became dependent on other for the food supplies.
 4. Clashes with Gomasthas – Gomasthas acted arrogantly, marched into villages with police and punished weavers for delay in supply.