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7. Weavers Iron Smelters and Factory Owners

Chapter Rerview

Chapter Rerview:

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• Around 1750, India was the world’s largest producer of cotton textiles renowned both for their fine quality and exquisite craftsmanship. They were traded in Southeast Asia (Java, Sumatra and Penang) and West and Central Asia. European trading companies bought Indian textiles and sold them in Europe.
• Weavers belonged to communities that specialised in weaving and skills were passed on from one generation to the next. Some of the communities famous for weaving were the tanti weavers of Bengal, the julahas or momin weavers of north India, sale and kaikollar and devangs of south India. Spinning is the first stage of production where charkha and the takli were used. The thread was spun on the charkha and rolled on the takli. After spinning the thread was woven into cloth by the weaver. 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 chhipigars.

• Wootz steel production required a highly specialised technique of refining iron. In India, iron smelting was common till the end of the nineteenth century. In Bihar and Central India, every district had smelters. The furnaces were built of clay and sun-dried bricks. By the late nineteenth century, the craft of iron smelting declined. The reason was the government prevented people from entering the reserved forests.

 

• The government granted access to the forest in some areas but the iron smelters had to pay a very high tax to the forest department for every furnace they used. by the late nineteenth-century iron and steel were imported from Britain. By the early twentieth century, the artisans producing iron and steel faced new competition.

• In 1854, the first cotton mill was set up in Bombay and it had grown as an important port for the export of raw cotton from India to England and China. In Bombay, over 84 mills were established by Parsi and Gujarati businessmen by 1900. Mills started developing in cities and the first mill in Ahmedabad was started in 1861. Growth of cotton mills demanded labour. Poor peasants, artisans and agricultural labourers worked in the mills.
• Textile factory industry in India faced problems such as difficulty competing with the cheap textiles imported from Britain. In most countries, the government supported industrialisation by imposing heavy duties on imports which eliminated competition and protected infant industries.
• The first major spurt in the development of cotton factory production in India, therefore, was during the First World War when textile imports from Britain declined and Indian factories were called upon to produce cloth for military supplies.

 

7. Weavers Iron Smelters and Factory Owners

Exercise - Question

Exercise - Question:

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Que: What kinds of cloth had a large market in Europe?

Ans:

Cotton and Silk had a large market in Europe. Different varieties of Indian textiles were sold in European markets:

1. Chintz
2. Cossaes or Khasa
3. Bandanna
4. Jamdani

Indian printed cotton textiles were also famous in England for their exquisite floral designs, fine textures and inexpensiveness.

Que: What is jamdani?

Ans: Jamdani is a fine muslin on which decorative motifs are woven on the loom, typically in grey and white. Often a mixture of cotton and gold thread was used, as in the cloth in this picture. The most important centres of jamdani weaving were Dacca in Bengal and Lucknow in the United Provinces.

Que: What is bandanna?

Ans: Bandannas are any brightly coloured and printed scarf for the neck or head. Originally, the term derived from the word “bandhna” (Hindi for tying) and referred to a variety of brightly coloured cloth produced through a method of tying and dying.

Que: Who are the Agaria?

Ans: A group of men and women forming a community of iron smelters.

Que: Fill in the blanks:

(a) The word chintz comes from the word _________.

(b) Tipu’s sword was made of_________ steel.

(c) India’s textile exports declined in the _________ century.

Ans:

(a) The word chintz comes from the word chhint.

(b) Tipu’s sword was made of wootz steel.

(c) India’s textile exports declined in the nineteenth century.

Que: How do the names of different textiles tell us about their histories?

Ans: The different textiles like ‘muslin’, ‘chintz’, ‘calico’ and ‘bandanna’ have a history to their names:

a. Muslin – The cloth was named after the European traders who saw five types of cotton textiles carried by the Arab traders in Mosul. They named all woven textiles as ‘muslin’ after that.

b. Chintz – This name is derived from a Hindi name called ‘Chhint’ which is a small piece of cloth with floral designs.

c. Calico – Portuguese came to Calicut first in search of spices. However, the cotton textile they took back from Calicut to Spain was called Calico.

d. Bandanna – The term was derived from the Hindi word ‘Bandhna’. It is a scarf with prints. It is made for head or neck.

Que: Why did the wool and silk producers in England protest against the import of Indian textiles in the early eighteenth century?

Ans: The wool and silk producers in England protested against the import of Indian textiles in the early eighteenth century because due to the fame of Indian textiles in the European markets owing to their designs and their prices, they were unable to compete with them. The English wool and silk producers wanted a ban on Indian textiles so that they could grow in England. Following this, the spinning jenny was also introduced in the European markets.

Que: How did the development of cotton industries in Britain affect textile producers in India?

Ans: There were several challenges for textile produces in India:

a. They had to compete with English cotton industries both in England and in India

b. British cotton industries expanded, which led to the shrinkage of Indian textile producers.

c. Thousands of Indian textile producers were out of employment because the British took over the market with their industries.

Que: Why did the Indian iron smelting industry decline in the nineteenth century?

Ans: These are the following reasons that led to the decline of the iron smelting industry in the nineteenth century:

a. Indian smelters could not get Charcoal due to the forest laws imposed on them. Charcoal is an essential ingredient in the iron smelting process, and the industry could not thrive without its supply. The forest laws banned their movement in the reserved forests.

b. Iron smelters were asked to pay high taxes to the forest authorities.

c. Post-1950s, the English started importing iron from England to India. This discouraged Indian iron smelters from pursuing the same profession.

d. In late-nineteenth-century, many famines destroyed dry tracts for iron smelters.

e. Iron industries posed the biggest challenge for the local iron smelters who were not able to compete with the big industries.

Que: What problems did the Indian textile industry face in the early years of its development?

Ans: The problems are given below:

a. Competition – They had to face large British industries who were already present in the market.

b. Export – It was a challenge for them to export to England due to the huge export prices.

c. Failure – English cotton textiles ousted Indian textiles from its parent markets like America, Africa and Europe.

d. No Buyers – Europeans started avoiding the weavers of Bengal and did not buy from them, which made the Bengal weavers the worst-hit.

Que: What helped TISCO expand steel production during the First World War?

Ans: The following reasons led to TISCO expansion:

a. World War-I – The war demanded a huge amount of iron and steel for the production of ammunition, which was a demand that Britain had to entertain.

b. Indian markets turned to TISCO for rail work to supply iron and steel.

c. TISCO built shells and carriage wheels for World War-I

d. By 1919, the British government started buying 90 per cent of the steel manufactured by the TISCO

7. Weavers Iron Smelters and Factory Owners

Additional - Question

Additional - Question:

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Q1:- what kind of cloth had a large market in Europe?

Ans: - Chintz, cossaes or khassa and bandanna.

Q2:- What is jamdani?

Ans: - Jamdani is a fine muslin on which decorative motifs are woven on the  loom, typically in grey and white.

Q3:- What is bandanna?

Ans:- Bandanna is a brightly colored and printed scarf for the neck or head. Originally, the term derived from the word ‘bandana’ and referred to a variety of brightly colored cloth produced through the methods of tying and dying.

Q4:- Who are the aggraias?

Ans:- Groups of men and women carrying basket-loads of iron are known as the agarias.

Q5:- Fill in the blanks:

(a) The word chintz comes from the word

(b) Tipu’s sword was made of steel.

(c) india’s textile exports declined in the century.

Ans:-   

(a) chintz

(b) Wootz

(c) 19^th.

Q6. How do the names of different textiles tell us about their histories?

Ans:- European traders first saw fine cotton cloth from India carried by Arab merchants in mosul in present-day iraq. hence, they began to refer to all finally woven textiles as muslino.

When the portuguese first came to india in search of spices, they landed in calicut in kerala coast in south west india. The cotton textiles which they took back to europe came to be known as calico, which derived from calicut.

Printed cotton cloths called chintz, cossaes or khassa and bandanna were also in great demandThe chintz is derived from the hindi word chhint, a cloth with small and colurful flower design. The word bandhanna is referred to any brightly coloured and printed scarf. Originally, the term derived from the word bandhana and refered to a variety of brightly coloured cloth produced through a method of tying and dying.       

Q7. Why did the wool and silk producers in England protest against the import of Indian textiles in the early eighteenth century?

Ans:- The wool and silk producers in England protested against the import of Indian textiles in the early eighteenth century because they were worried by the popularity of Indian textiles. In 1720, the British Government enacted a legislation banning the use of printed cotton textiles chintz in England.

Q8. How did the development of cotton industries in Britain affect textile producers in India?

Ans:- The development of cotton industries in Britain badly affected textile producers in India: ... Exporting textiles to England became increasingly difficult since very high duties were imposed on Indian textiles imported into Britain, Thousands of weavers in India became unemployed. Bengal weavers were the worst hit.

Q9. Why did the Indian iron smelting industry decline in the nineteenth century?

Ans:- The Indian iron smelting industry had declined in the nineteenth century for the following reasons: ... But the iron smelters had to pay a very high tax to the forest department for every furnace they used. This reduced their income. (iii) By the late 19th century iron and steel was being imported from Britain.

Q10. What problems did the Indian textile industry face in the early years of its development?

Ans:- In the early years of its development the Indian textile industry faced several problems: It found it difficult to compete with the cheap textiles imported from Britain. In most countries, governments supported industrialization by imposing heavy duties on imports.

Q11. What helped TISCO expand steel production during the First World War?

Ans:- TISCO was able to expand steel production during the First World War because the British imports of iron and steel into India declined and the market for the steel manufactured by it increased. During the war, the steel produced in Britain had to meet the demands of the war.