Who were the gomasthas? How did they help the east India company to assert a monopoly right to trade?
Answers
The Gomasthas were the paid officials appointed by the British administration to check the quality of clothes produced by the weavers of India. They also collected supplies from Indian weavers. This system was created to establish more direct control over Indian artists. The Gomasthas assured that all authority and command of the textiles industry came under the British authority. They helped to eliminate competition, managing costs and securing regular supplies of silk and cotton.
Answer:
Gomasthas were the paid servants employed by the British East India Company to collect tax from the weavers of India.
Explanation:
In the 1750s, British East India Company employed a group of people called Gomasthas to collect taxes from the weavers, they were also appointed to do number of tasks like collecting raw cotton from the weavers so that they cannot sell it to the other European companies, they were also made to offer loans to the weavers, once they accepted the loans the interests rates were increased so, that the weavers cannot pay their debts, and now they were forced to sell their products only to them.
Earlier the tax collectors were from the same village and they were very humble with the people but, gomasthas were outsiders and their only concern was the collection of money at any cost. And, that’s why there were report of violent clashes between the gomasthas and the weavers.