Why Did Textile Exports From India Not Decline In The Late Eighteenth Century
Answers
Answer:
a. Rise of industrialisation , development of cotton industries in England brought a dramatic change in the British commercial policy.
b. The India cotton industries and textiles which for centuries had made India's name a byword in the World and in England was severely affected
c. Fear of competition from the Indian cotton, compelled cotton manufactures in Manchester to impose import duties on textiles coming from India, that would enable the into sell their goods without any competition.
d The East India Company, after industrial process, was no longer interested ii buying Indian manufactured goods, rather looked for market for its own goods. This increased export of British cotton goods to India on a large scale.
e.As British cotton goods, were exported in India, the Indian cotton weavers faced fierce competition from the British cheap and machine made goods-
f.The British father compelled India, to supply raw materials to serve their cotton industries , creating shortage for raw cotton for native weavers, who were forced to buy it at high price, this further impacted their meagre
earnings, forcing them to shift their occupation and become agricultural labourers.
g With the advent of factories in India, Indian hand made textiles received a huge blow.
Explanation:
(i) Development of cotton industries in England :
As cotton industries developed in England, industrial group; began worrying about imports from other countries. They pressurised the government to impose import duties on cotton textiles so that Manchester goods could sell in Britain without facing any competition from outside.
(ii) Growth of mills and falling demand :
With growing mill; and falling home demand British industrialists persuaded the East India Company to sell British manufactures in Indian markets as well.
(iii) Two edge policy :
To sell its manufactures in India East India Company followed a two edged policy i.e. no taxes on import; but high taxes on exports.
(iv) Manchester goods in India :
Cotton weavers and small producer; in India thus faced two problems at the same time, their export market collapsed and the local market shrank, being glutted with Manchester imports. Produced by machines at lower costs, the imported cotton goods were so cheap that weavers could no: easily compete with them.
(v) Shortage of raw material : By the 1860;
weavers faced a new problem. They could not get sufficient supply of raw cotton of good quality When the American Civil War broke out and cotton supplies from the US were cut off. Britain turned to India. .As raw cotton exports from India increased, the price of raw cotton shot up. Weavers in India were starved of supplies and forced to buy raw cotton at exorbitant prices. In this, situation weaving could not pay.