9. Why did the Indian iron smelting industry decline
in the nineteenth century?
Answers
The Indian iron smelting industry decline in the nineteenth century due to the following reasons:
Imposition of new forest laws prevented people from entering the reserved forests. Due to this, Indian smelters were unable to get wood for charcoal and iron ore. Hence, many smelters abandoned their work and looked for some other jobs.
Iron smelters were asked to pay high taxes to the forest authorities for every furnace they used. This reduced their income.
By the late nineteenth century, iron and steel was being imported from Britain. Ironsmiths in India began using the imported iron. This inevitably lowered the demand for iron produced by local smelters.
By the early twentieth century, smelters faced competition from the iron and steel industries that began to be set up in the country.
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