Weavers, Iron Smelters and Factory Owners (CBSE/CLASS -8/ HISTORY)

 

Weavers, Iron Smelters and Factory Owners

(CBSE/CLASS -8/ HISTORY)

 

Question: What kinds of cloth had a large market in Europe during the period this chapter is focused on?

 Answer: Cotton and silk from India had a large market in Europe. Different varieties of Indian textiles were sold in European markets. These included Chintz, Cossaes or Khasa, Bandanna, and Jamdani. Indian printed cotton textiles were also famous in England for their exquisite floral designs, fine textures, and inexpensiveness.

 

Question: What is the significance of the term ‘Jamdani’ and where were its important centres?

Answer: ‘Jamdani’ is a fine muslin on which decorative motifs are woven on the loom, typically in grey and white. Often a mixture of cotton and gold thread was used. The most important centres of Jamdani weaving were Dacca in Bengal and Lucknow in the United Provinces.

 

Question: Who were the Agarias and what was their role?

Answer: The Agarias were a group of men and women who formed a community of iron smelters.

 

Question: What is a bandanna?

 Answer: Bandannas are brightly coloured and printed scarves for the neck or head. Originally, the term derived from the word “bandhna” (Hindi word for tying) and referred to a variety of brightly coloured cloth produced through a method of tying and dying1.

 

Question: Fill in the blanks: The word chintz comes from the word _________.

 Answer: The word chintz comes from the word 'chhint’.

 

Question: Fill in the blanks: Tipu’s sword was made of _________ steel. Answer: Tipu’s sword was made of wootz steel.

 

Question: Fill in the blanks: India’s textile exports declined in the _________ century.

Answer: India’s textile exports declined in the nineteenth century.

 

Question: How do the names of different textiles tell us about their histories? Answer: The different textiles like ‘muslin’, ‘chintz’, ‘calico’ and ‘bandanna’ have a history to their names. For example, European traders first encountered fine cotton cloth from India carried by Arab merchants in Mosul in present-day Iraq. So, they began referring to all finely woven textiles as “muslin” – a word that acquired wide currency.

 

Question: What is the origin of the word ‘calico’?

 Answer: The word ‘calico’ is derived from ‘Calicut’, a place in Kerala, India. When the Portuguese first came to India in search of spices, they landed in Calicut. The cotton textiles they took back to Europe came to be called 'calico’.

 

Question: What was the impact of British industrialization on Indian crafts and industries?

Answer: The industrialization of Britain had a significant impact on Indian crafts and industries. With the growth of industrial production, British industrialists began to see India as a vast market for their industrial products, and over time, manufactured goods from Britain began flooding India. This led to a decline in Indian textile exports in the nineteenth century.

 

Question: What is wootz steel?

 Answer: Wootz steel is a type of steel characterized by a pattern of bands or sheets of micro carbides within a tempered martensite or pearlite matrix. It was used in many traditional blades, including the famous sword of Tipu Sultan.

 

Question: Why was Surat an important port in the seventeenth century? Answer: Surat, located in Gujarat on the west coast of India, was one of the most important ports of the Indian Ocean trade. Dutch and English trading ships began using the port from the early seventeenth century.

 

Question: What was the impact of the British rule on Indian weavers? Answer: The British rule had a significant impact on Indian weavers. With the influx of cheap, machine-made textiles from Britain, many weavers in India found it difficult to compete and were forced to find other work. This led to a decline in the Indian weaving industry1.

 

Question: What was the role of Indian textiles in the global market?

Answer: Indian textiles had a significant role in the global market. They were renowned for their fine quality and exquisite craftsmanship. From the sixteenth century, European trading companies began buying Indian textiles for sale in Europe2.

 

Question: Why did Tipu Sultan develop close political relations with the French?

Answer: Tipu Sultan developed close political relations with the French because he wanted their support against the British. The French were rivals of the British, and Tipu Sultan hoped that their support would help him to counter British forces1.

 

Question: How did the British East India Company’s interest in trade lead to occupation of territory?

Answer: The British East India Company initially came to India as traders. However, over time, they began to establish political and military control over regions where they traded. This was done to protect their commercial interests and ensure a steady supply of goods for trade2.

 

Question: What was the condition of the Indian weavers in the late 19th century?

Answer: The condition of Indian weavers was quite poor in the late 19th century. With the influx of cheap, machine-made textiles from Britain, many weavers in India found it difficult to compete and were forced to find other work. This led to a decline in the Indian weaving industry1.

 

Question: What was the impact of British policies on Indian iron smelting industry?

 Answer: The British policies had a significant impact on the Indian iron smelting industry. The British imposed new forest laws which prevented people from entering the reserved forests. This affected the iron smelters as they were unable to find wood for charcoal that was required for smelting process1.

 

Question: What were the changes in the Indian textile industry during the British rule?

 Answer: During the British rule, there were significant changes in the Indian textile industry. The traditional Indian handloom industry faced a lot of competition from the cheap, machine-made textiles imported from Britain. Many weavers lost their jobs and were forced to find other work1.

 

Question: How did the British East India Company’s interest in trade lead to occupation of territory?

 Answer: The British East India Company initially came to India as traders. However, over time, they began to establish political and military control over regions where they traded. This was done to protect their commercial interests and ensure a steady supply of goods for trade2.

 

Question: What was the role of the East India Company in the Indian textile industry?

 Answer: The East India Company played a significant role in the Indian textile industry. Initially, they bought goods in India and exported them to England and Europe, making profit through this sale. However, with the growth of industrial production, they began to see India as a vast market for their industrial products, and over time, manufactured goods from Britain began flooding India1.

 

Question: What were the effects of British policies on Indian crafts and industries?

Answer: The British policies had a significant impact on Indian crafts and industries. The influx of cheap, machine-made textiles from Britain led to a decline in Indian textile exports in the nineteenth century. The new forest laws imposed by the British prevented people from entering the reserved forests, affecting the iron smelters who were unable to find wood for charcoal required for the smelting process2.

 

Question: What is ‘muslin’ and how did it get its name?

 Answer: ‘Muslin’ is a type of finely woven cotton fabric. The term ‘muslin’ is derived from Mosul in present-day Iraq, where European traders first encountered fine cotton cloth from India carried by Arab merchants1.

 

Question: How did the term ‘calico’ originate?

 Answer: The term ‘calico’ is derived from ‘Calicut’, a place in Kerala, India. When the Portuguese first came to India in search of spices, they landed in Calicut. The cotton textiles they took back to Europe came to be called 'calico’.

 

Question: What was the impact of the British rule on Indian weavers? Answer: The British rule had a significant impact on Indian weavers. With the influx of cheap, machine-made textiles from Britain, many weavers in India found it difficult to compete and were forced to find other work. This led to a decline in the Indian weaving industry.

 

Question: What was the impact of British policies on Indian iron smelting industry?

Answer: The British policies had a significant impact on the Indian iron smelting industry. The British imposed new forest laws which prevented people from entering the reserved forests. This affected the iron smelters as they were unable to find wood for charcoal that was required for smelting process.

 

Question: What were the changes in the Indian textile industry during the British rule?

 Answer: During the British rule, there were significant changes in the Indian textile industry. The traditional Indian handloom industry faced a lot of competition from the cheap, machine-made textiles imported from Britain. Many weavers lost their jobs and were forced to find other work.

 

Question: How did the British East India Company’s interest in trade lead to occupation of territory?

Answer: The British East India Company initially came to India as traders. However, over time, they began to establish political and military control over regions where they traded. This was done to protect their commercial interests and ensure a steady supply of goods for trade.

 

Q: Why did the wool and silk producers in England protest against the import of Indian textile in the early eighteenth century?

The wool and silk producers in England protested against the import of Indian textiles in the early eighteenth century because they found themselves unable to compete with the Indian textiles. Indian textiles were renowned for their fine quality, exquisite craftsmanship, and were relatively cheaper.

By the early eighteenth century, there was quite a craze for Indian cotton textiles in England and Europe, mainly for their exquisite floral designs, fine texture, and relative cheapness1. Worried by the popularity of Indian textiles, the wool and silk makers in England began protesting against the import of Indian cotton textiles.

At this time, the textile industries had just begun to develop in England. Unable to compete with Indian textiles, English producers wanted a secure market within the country by preventing the entry of Indian textiles. This led to the British Government imposing a ban on chintz (printed cotton textiles) in 1720, by enacting legislation known as the Calico Act. The Calico printing industry was the first to grow under government protection.

 

Due to stiff competition from Indian textiles, there was a search for innovation in technology in England. Productivity of the traditional spindles was increased by spinning jenny, which was invented by John Kaye in 1764. Cotton textile weaving was revolutionized by the invention of the steam engine in 1786 by Richard Arkwright. It was now possible to weave clothes cheaply as well as in large quantities.

Due to the imposition of very high duties on textiles imported into Britain, India found it very difficult to export textiles to England. Cotton textiles made in England successfully defeated the competition from Indian textile goods in American, European and African markets by the beginning of the nineteenth century.

 

How did development of cotton industries in Britain affect textile producers in india?

The development of cotton industries in Britain had a significant impact on textile producers in India. Here are some key points:

Competition: Indian textiles had to compete with British textiles in the European and American markets. The modern technology used in England could produce far cheaper and longer-lasting textiles than those of India.

Import Duties: Britain imposed heavy import duties on Indian textiles, making it very difficult for India to export textiles to England.

Loss of Market: The English took over the markets of Africa, America, and Europe, reducing the demand for Indian textiles in these markets.

Unemployment: In India, thousands of weavers became unemployed, with Bengal being the worst-hit region. Many weavers had to search for alternative employment and became agricultural laborers.

Flooded Market: By the 1830s, Indian markets were flooded with British cotton clothes1. By the 1880s, two-thirds of all the cotton clothes worn by Indians were produced in Britain.

Loss of Advances: European and English companies stopped purchasing goods from India, and their agents no longer gave advances to weavers to secure supplies.

This shift led to a significant decline in the Indian textile industry and had profound social and economic impacts on the country.

 

Why did the Indian iron Smelting industry decline in the nineteenth century?

The Indian iron smelting industry declined in the nineteenth century due to several reasons:

New Forest Laws: The British government imposed new forest laws that prevented people from entering the reserved forests. This made it difficult for Indian smelters to collect wood for charcoal, which was required for the smelting process12.

 

Taxes: Smelters were forced to pay high taxes to the forest department for every furnace they used, reducing their incomes.

British Policies: The British government was aware of the role of the iron industry in assisting indigenous powers by producing weaponry and ammunition. As a result, by 1878, the British government passed the Arms Act, which restricted access to firearms.

Imported Iron and Steel: By the late nineteenth century, iron and steel were being imported from Britain. Indian ironsmiths began using this imported iron, which was cheaper and readily available34. This reduced the demand for iron produced by local smelters.

Famines: A series of famines devastated the dry tracts of India in the late nineteenth century. Many of the Agarias (a community of iron smelters) stopped working in their furnaces due to various reasons.

These factors led to a significant decline in the Indian iron smelting industry during the nineteenth century.

 

What problem did the Indian Textile Industries face in the early years of its development?

In the early years of its development, the Indian textile industry faced several problems:

Competition with British Textiles: The Indian textile industry found it difficult to compete with the cheap textiles imported from Britain.

Lack of Government Support: Unlike other countries where governments supported industrialization by imposing heavy duties on imports, the colonial government in India did not protect and support the local textile industries in any such way.

Innovation in Technology: In England, due to stiff competition from Indian textiles, there was a search for innovation in technology. The productivity of the traditional spindles was increased by spinning jenny, which was invented by John Kaye in 1764. Cotton textile weaving was revolutionized by the invention of the steam engine in 1786 by Richard Arkwright.

Loss of Market: Indian markets were flooded with British cotton clothes by the 1830s. Two-thirds of all the cotton clothes worn by the Indians by the 1880s were produced in Britain1. Indian textiles lost its market leadership in American, European and African markets due to the textile industry of England.

Loss of Advances: To secure supplies, agents no longer gave advances to weavers as the European and English companies stopped purchasing goods from India.

 

What helped TISCO expand steel production during the first world war?

The expansion of steel production by Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) during the First World War was facilitated by several factors:

 

Increased Demand: The First World War led to a surge in demand for steel as it was required for buildings, vehicles, and weapons.

Decline in British Imports: The war consumed all the steel produced in Britain, leading to a drastic reduction in the imports of British steel. This compelled Indian railways and other industries to source their steel from TISCO.

Government Support: The British colonial government supported TISCO by providing finance, raw materials, and awarding contracts to supply steel for the war effort.

Investment in Technology: TISCO made investments in new gears and equipment such as rolling mills and adopted novel production techniques like the Bessemer process for quicker and more effective steel production.

Skilled Workforce: TISCO was able to hire individuals from all around the nation and train them in the specialized skills needed for making steel.

As a result of these factors, TISCO was able to boost output and meet the increased demand for steel during the war.

 

What was the impact of British rule on Indian crafts?

The British rule had a significant impact on Indian crafts:

Competition with Machine-made Products: Indian handicrafts faced stiff competition from machine-made products from Britain.

Discriminatory Tariff Policy: The British followed a discriminatory tariff policy, allowing tariff-free exports of raw material from India and tariff-free import of British industrial products, but placed a heavy duty on the export of Indian handicraft products3. This led to Indian handicraft products losing their foreign as well as domestic consumers.

Loss of Market: With the introduction of railways, the reach of British products increased to every corner of the country, leading to the downfall of textile and handicraft industries in India.

Rise in Raw Material Prices: The British policy of exporting raw materials also injured Indian handicrafts by raising the prices of raw materials like cotton and leather. This increased the cost of handicrafts and reduced their capacity to compete with foreign goods.

Lack of Government Support: Unlike other countries where governments supported industrialization by imposing heavy duties on imports, the colonial government in India did not protect and support the local textile industries in any such way.

These factors led to a significant decline in Indian crafts during the British rule.