how did the east India company procure regular supplies of cotton and silk textiles from Indian weavers?
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Answers
(i) Established political power to assert monopoly right to trade.
(ii) Developed a system of management and control that would eliminate competition, control cost and ensure regular supply of cotton and silk goods.
(iii) Eliminated the existing traders and broker connected with cloth and established direct control with the weaver.
(iv) Appointed paid servants called gomasthas to supervise weavers, examine the quality of the cloth and collect supplies.
(v) Weavers were not allowed to contact other buyers. Weavers were given advances and were offered the loan to buy raw material. Those who took advance or loan could not contact any other trader.
(vi) The weavers had to sell at a price dictated by the Company. By giving loan the Company bed the weavers with them.
The East India Company took various steps to ensure a regular supply of cotton and silk fabrics.
Explanation:-
(i) They established political power to claim their monopoly on trade.
(ii) The Company tried to eliminate the existing traders and brokers involved in the textile trade and to establish more direct control over the weavers. It employed salaried servants called gomasthas to supervise the weavers, collect supplies and check the quality of the cloth.
(iii) It prevented the weavers of the company from dealing with other buyers. Once orders were received, loans were given to weavers to buy raw materials. The borrowers had to hand over their produce to the cows. They could not take it to any other merchant.
(iv) He developed a system of management and control that would eliminate competition, control costs, and ensure a regular supply of cotton and silk goods.
(v) Weavers had to sell at the price fixed by the company. By giving loans to the weavers, the company tied up the weavers with them.