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Industrialization in India and Britain

Industrial production in India increased during World War I due to reduced imports from Britain and a surge in demand for war supplies, leading to the establishment of new factories and job creation. The port of Surat declined by the late 18th century as European companies shifted trade to Bombay and Calcutta, resulting in a drop in exports and local bankruptcies. Women workers in Britain attacked the Spinning Jenny, fearing it would reduce demand for manual labor and threaten their livelihoods during a time of economic strain.

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4 views1 page

Industrialization in India and Britain

Industrial production in India increased during World War I due to reduced imports from Britain and a surge in demand for war supplies, leading to the establishment of new factories and job creation. The port of Surat declined by the late 18th century as European companies shifted trade to Bombay and Calcutta, resulting in a drop in exports and local bankruptcies. Women workers in Britain attacked the Spinning Jenny, fearing it would reduce demand for manual labor and threaten their livelihoods during a time of economic strain.

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dontfearrescueforceishere
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The Age of Industrialization

Q1. Why did industrial production in India increase during the First World War?
Ans. Prior to World War First industrial growth in India was slow, due to the different policies of the
colonial power dictated by British industrial interests. The war dramatically changed the situation.
1. With British mills geared to war production, Manchester imports of India declined, whereby
Indian mills had access to the home market.
2. As war prolonged Indian factories were called upon to supply British war needs. e.g., Jute bags,
cloth for uniforms, tents, leather boots and host of other items. This gave a much needed impetus
to the growth and development of Indian industries. New factories were set up and old ones
worked multiple shifts. Over the years industrial production boomed and many new workers
gained employment.
3. After the war Manchester could never, capture its old position in the Indian market as economy
of Britain crumbled due to war and growing competition from U.S., Germany and Japan. While
cotton production and cotton cloth exports from Britain ‘fell’ dramatically. Indian industrialists
gradually consolidated their position substituting foreign manufactures and capturing the home
market.

Q2. The port of Surat declined by the end of the 18th century?
Ans. The port of Surat on the west coast of India was the major port to handle the Indian Foreign Trade
with the west before the age of machines. It linked India to the Gulf and the Red Sea Ports. But the
port of Surat declined by the end of the 18th century because :
1. As European companies gradually gained power first by securing concessions and the by
monopoly rights to trade, and finally through political control, they began to export from the
ports of Bombay and Calcutta in European ships.
2. Exports from Surat port fell dramatically. The credit that financed trade began drying up and
local bankers slowly went bankrupt. This resulted in the decline of port of Surat.
The rise of Bombay port was marked by the decline of Surat port
Q3. Women workers in Britain attacked the Spinning Jenny.
Ans. Spinning Jenny was invented by James Hargreaves in 1764. This machine speeded up the spinning
process and reduced labour demands. By the use of this machine, a single worker could make a
number of spindles and spin several threads at a time. Women workers in Britain attacked the
Spinning Jenny because :
1. Many women in rural areas supplemented shrinking household income from cultivation by
working on the spinning wheel.
2. They feared if the Spinning Jenny which was introduced in woolen manufacture, if generally
adopted would lessen demand for manual labour.
3. The Spinning Jenny they realized would displace fuller use of their family labour resources.
4. Moreover the Spinning Jenny came at a time when already the cottagers and poor peasants were
facing economic strain due to disappearance of open fields and enclosure of common lands.
Many a women survived on hand spinning. Fear of unemployment made women attack the
Spinning Jenny.

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