Write a short note on why indian textiles had been popular in the world market since times immemorial. Also specify the reasons for their decline in the 19th century
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Our Pasts - III
Indian Textiles and the World Market
Around 1750, India was the world’s largest producer of cotton textiles.
From the 16th century European trading companies began buying Indian textiles for sale in Europe.
Words Tell Us Histories
Indian textile were famous in western market under different names such as mislim, calico, etc.
Printing cotton cloths were called chintz, cossaes or khassa and bandanna.
From the 1680s there started a craze for printed Indian cotton textiles in England and Europe mainly for their exquisite floral designs, fine texture and relative cheapness.
Other cloths that were Kasimbazar, Patna, Calcutta, Orissa, Charpoore.
Indian Textiles in European Markets
Wool and silk makers in England began protesting against the import of Indian cotton textiles.
In 1720, the British government enacted a legislation banning the use of printed cotton textiles – chintz – in England. This Act was known as the Calico Act.
Unable to compete with Indian textiles, English producers wanted a secure market within the country by preventing the entry of Indian textiles.
Competition with Indian textiles led to a search for technological innovation in England. In 1764, the spinning jenny was invented by John Kaye which increased the productivity of the traditional spindles.
The invention of the steam engine by Richard Arkwright in 1786 revolutionised cotton textile weaving. Cloth could now be woven in immense quantities and cheaply too.
Indian textile began to decline with the development of cotton industries in Britain and by the beginning of the 19th century, English made cotton textiles successfully ousted Indian goods from their traditional markets in Africa, America and Europe.
Indian weavers lost their employment.
Who Were the Weavers?
Weavers often belonged to communities that specializes in weaving and their skills were passed on from one generation to the next.
The tanti weavers of Bengal, the julahas or momin weavers of north India, sale and kaikolar and devangs of south India are some of the communities famous for weaving.
The first stage of production was spinning. The charkha and the takli were household spinning instruments.
For coloured textiles, the thread was dyed by the dyer, known as rangrez. For printed cloth the weavers needed the help of specialist block printers known as chhipi gars. Handloom weaving and the occupations associated with it provided livelihood for millions of Indians.
The Decline of Indian Textiles
By the 1830s British cotton cloth flooded Indian markets. By the 1880s two-thirds of all the cotton clothes worn by Indians were made of cloth produced in Britain.
Thousands of rural women who made a living by spinning cotton thread were rendered jobless.
Handloom weaving continued to exist to some extent because some types of cloths could not be supplied by machines.
Machines failed to produce saris with intricate borders or cloths with traditional woven patterns.
Many weavers and spinners who lost their livelihood now became agricultural labourers. Some migrated to cities in search of work and yet others went out of the country to work in plantation in Africa and South America.
Some handloom weavers got employment in the new cotton mill that were established in different parts of India.
Cotton Mills Come Up
The first cotton mill in India was set up as a spinning mill in Bombay in 1854. Afterwards mills came up in other cities too, like Ahmedabad and Kanpur.
The textile factory industry faced various problems in the beginning.
The first major spurt in the development of cotton factory in India was during the first world war when textile imports from Britain declined and Indian factories were called upon to produce cloth for military supplies.
Short note on Indian textiles popularity:
- Around 1750 India was the biggest cotton textile producer in the world. European trading firms began buying Indian textiles for sale in Europe from the 16th century. Printing cotton cloths were named cossaes, chintz, or bandanna, and khassa.
- An insane for printed Indian cotton textiles began in England and Europe from the 1680s on mainly because of their exquisite floral designs, fine texture, and relative cheapness. Other Kasimbazar, Patna, Calcutta, Orissa, Charpoore wardrobes.
- Indian Textiles started fighting against the importation of Indian cotton textiles in European Markets Wool and silk producers in England. Incapable of dealing with Indian textiles, English producers wanted a stable market inside the nation by stopping Indian textiles from joining.
- Competition with Indian textiles has contributed to England pursuing technological innovation. Cloth could now be made in huge quantities, and also easily.
Reason to decline:
- Indian textiles started to decline because of the growth of cotton textiles in Britain, and the starting of the 19th century English cotton industries successfully removed Indian goods from their conventional markets in America, Africa, and Europe.
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