10. How were the Indian artisans and
Craftsmen ruined?
Answers
Explanation:
I hope it helps uu.....
Answer:
Till the middle of the eighteenth-century Indian handicraft products were greatly demanded in the markets all over the world. Specifically European markets needed a constant supply of Indian handicraft-products. European traders and trading organizations made huge profits by selling Indian products. Indian textile products had no equals and those products were the symbol of craftsmanship and artistry. Indian cotton textiles became a household name in England.
But the Industrial Revolution in England and the economic policy of the East India Company jointly closed the markets for Indian handicrafts. In England, machines went for large scale productions and those machine products were cheap and colorful. Not only markets but also the British Government as well as manufacturers encouraged the supply of their machine products to European markets.
As a result, the British machine-products entered into unfair competition with Indian products. Handicrafts of India could not sustain the pressure of the competition with cheaper machine goods. Thus, those were driven out of European markets. Further, the British trade policy proved extremely fatal for Indian handicrafts. In 1813, the trade monopoly was abolished and a one-way free trade policy was imposed on India. By this policy, the British machine products were imported to India freely and the export of Indian goods to England was discouraged by the imposition of heavy duties on those products.
The Industrial Revolution closed foreign markets for Indian goods and British trade policy closed domestic market for Indian products. Once the markets were closed demand for Indian products declined suddenly and production stopped. It resulted in making the artisans and craftsman jobless and handicraft industries were closed down.
In other words, the machine products of England replaced the Indian handicrafts in the village market. As a result, the artisans and the craftsman who adopted caste-based occupations were compelled to give up on the same. This ruined the rural artisan industries and the artisans lost their occupations.
There developed a craze for the goods, ‘Made in England’ and use of those goods was considered status symbol and sign of modernity. As the demand for Indian handicraft products declined within India, production failed suddenly leading to forcible closure of the rural artisan industries.
The price was determined by the Company and it was not profitable for the craftsmen. The services and the labour of the craftsmen were hired at very low wages. The craftsmen couldn't adapt to their traditional profession.
These towns and cities also gained political importance. Repeated wars of conquest of the British had devastating effects on those towns and cities. The conquerors plundered those centers time and again. The artisans deserted those centers for safety and once flourishing crafts were abandoned.
Added to this, there was no attempt for the growth of the modern industry to take the place of the cottage Industries. As a result, the handicraftsman and artisans had no scope to find suitable employment according to their skill. Rather, they were compelled to switch over to agriculture for employment. Even the peasants who earlier adopted different crafts as a secondary occupation to supplement their income found it impossible to continue with those crafts.
For example, the peasants were part-time weavers earning extra income. As they found the cost of cotton very high, they preferred to be consumers of Lancashire cloth and abandoned weaving clothes for their families. In both cases, over-crowding of agriculture made the peasants and artisans either agricultural laborers or jobless.
Ultimately the people were left amidst extreme poverty. Major cottage industries like textile, leather, oil, pottery, etc. were ruined and no alternative source of production was set up in India. Thus, India had to depend on British manufacturers. Exporter India has converted into importer India. Self-sufficient village economic gave way to the colonial economy and India was transformed into an agricultural colony to produce and supply raw materials.
Explanation:
Please mark me as the brainliest if it has helped you.