Why was the Calico Act passed and what was its impact on the Indian textile
industry?
Answers
Seeing the East India Company and their textile importation as a threat to domestic textile businesses, Parliament passed the 1700 Calico Act, blocking the importation of cotton cloth. As there was no punishment for continuing to sell cotton cloth, smuggling of the popular material became commonplace.
In 1720, the British government banned the use of chintz in England. This Act was known as the Calico Act. Once the government protection began, the calico printing industry was the first to grow. In this industry, Indian designs were imitated and printed on white muslin or plain unbleached Indian cloth.
What was Calico Act and why was it passed?
In 1721 Parliament passed the Calico Act to protect English manufacturers, forbidding the use of calico in England for apparel or for domestic purposes (repeal of the act in 1774 coincided with inventions of mechanical devices that made possible English cloth production in successful competition with Eastern fabrics).