Crafts and Industries Chapter Notes | History Class 8 ICSE PDF Download

Introduction

Before the British arrived, India was famous for its thriving crafts and industries, especially its cotton and silk textiles, along with other high-quality goods produced in specialized towns. The arrival of the British changed this scenario significantly. Initially, they came for trade, setting up trading posts and factories to buy Indian goods and sell them at high prices in Europe. After gaining political control through events like the Battle of Buxar, the British used local revenues to finance trade, impacting Indian crafts. This chapter explores the effects of the Industrial Revolution, the decline of Indian textile and iron industries, the rise of cotton mills, and the establishment of the iron and steel industry in India, highlighting the process of deindustrialization.

Weaving in India

• Varanasi is known for rich brocades, soft jamdani, and versatile draw loom techniques.
• Jamdani, meaning "flower vase" in Persian, is a loom-embroidered fabric with floral or scroll designs.
• Varanasi weaves fine cotton fabrics and silk, likely influenced by migratory weavers from Gujarat in the mid-18th century.
• Bengal’s muslin, especially the fine "Ab-i-Rawan" (flowing water), was a highlight during Mughal rule.
• Jamdani fabrics from Varanasi and Bengal use fine cotton or metal threads for decorative patterns.

Industrial Revolution and Its Effects

• The Industrial Revolution began in the 18th century, shifting production from handmade to machine-made goods.
• Machines in factories produced goods faster and cheaper than handmade items.
• Factories led to migration from villages to towns and cities for jobs.
• Factory workers, including women and children, earned low wages and worked long hours in poor conditions.
• Colonies like India supplied raw materials and served as markets for British machine-made goods.
• Indian handicrafts struggled to compete with cheap British products.
• The British introduced "one-way free trade," allowing tax-free British goods into India while taxing Indian exports heavily.
• The decline of royal patronage, due to the East India Company’s rise, further weakened Indian crafts.

Indian Textile Industry

• Before British rule, India was a major global textile producer, known for fine quality and craftsmanship.
• Bengal, particularly Dacca (now Dhaka, Bangladesh), was a leading textile center in the 18th century.
• Gujarat and the Coromandel Coast (Madras to northern Andhra Pradesh) were also key weaving regions.
• Indian textiles influenced English terms like "muslin" (from Mosul, Iraq, via Arab traders) and "calico" (from Calicut).
• Jamdani, a fine muslin with woven motifs, was prominent in Dhaka and Lucknow.
• Other textiles like chintz (from Hindi "chhint") and bandana (from "bandhana," meaning tying) gained popularity in Europe.
• Patola (Patan, Gujarat) and pochampalli (Andhra Pradesh) were named after their places of origin.
• British inventions like the flying shuttle (John Kay), spinning jenny (James Hargreaves), water frame (Richard Arkwright), and power loom (Edmund Cartwright) boosted textile production.
• The Calico Act of 1721 in England banned Indian printed cotton to protect the British textile industry.
• Weaving was a hereditary skill, with communities like tanti (Bengal), julahas and momins (North India), and kaikollars, devangas, and saliyars (South India).
• The East India Company controlled weavers through gomasthas, offering advances but restricting sales to the Company, limiting weavers’ bargaining power.

Weavers

• India had many specialized weaving communities, and weaving was a skill passed down from one generation to the next.
• Famous weaving groups included the tanti weavers in Bengal, julahas and momins in North India, and kaikollars, devangas, and saliyars (also called sale) in South India.
• The East India Company made direct connections with weavers, giving them advances to produce goods.
• Weavers were not allowed to sell their products to anyone else except the East India Company.
• The Company appointed gomasthas to supervise the weavers and ensure they followed the rules.
• Weavers could not ask for higher prices for their goods because the Company was their only buyer.

Decline of Indian Textiles

• British textiles competed with Indian goods in European and American markets.
• High export duties made it hard for Indian textiles to reach Britain.
• The East India Company stopped buying Indian goods and providing loans to weavers.
• The 1813 Charter Act ended the Company’s trade monopoly, allowing duty-free British goods to flood India.
• By the 1830s, British textiles dominated Indian markets; by the 1880s, two-thirds of cotton clothes in India were British-made.
• Some handloom weaving survived for intricate designs that machines couldn’t replicate.
• Sholapur (Maharashtra) emerged as a new weaving center in the late 19th century.
• Many weavers turned to agriculture, migrated to cities, or worked on plantations abroad.
• The American Civil War (1864) increased demand for Indian raw cotton, raising prices and making it unaffordable for weavers, further collapsing the textile industry.

Indian Cotton Mills

• The first cotton mill was established in Bombay in 1854 by Cowasjee Nanabhoy.
• Bombay became a hub for raw cotton exports to England and China, benefiting from nearby cotton-growing regions.
• Other cities like Ahmedabad, Kanpur, Nagpur, and Sholapur also set up cotton mills.
• By 1900, Bombay had over 80 cotton mills, mostly run by Gujarati and Parsi businessmen.
• Indian mills struggled to compete with cheap British textiles due to lack of protective duties.
• During the First World War (1914–1918), British textile imports declined, boosting Indian mills with military cloth orders.
• By the Second World War, Indian cotton mills dominated the domestic market and competed globally.

Case Study: Deindustrialization of Indian Textile Industry

• Deindustrialization refers to the social and economic changes caused by the decline of local crafts and industries.
• Indian textiles thrived under Mughal rule but lost patronage as Mughal power declined.
• Until the mid-18th century, Indian textiles were in high demand globally, especially in Europe.
• The Industrial Revolution enabled Britain to produce cheap, machine-made textiles, outcompeting Indian handicrafts.
• The British "one-way free trade" policy allowed duty-free British goods into India while taxing Indian exports.
• Indian textiles lost both foreign and domestic markets, leading to unemployment among artisans.
• The American Civil War disrupted cotton supplies, increasing Indian cotton prices and further hurting weavers.
• Traditional techniques like bandhani (tie and dye) and block printing also declined.

Iron and Steel Industries

• Tipu Sultan’s sword, made in the late 18th century, showcased the quality of Indian Wootz steel.
• Wootz steel, named from the Kannada word "Ukku," was known for its sharp edge and flowing water pattern.
• Wootz was made by mixing iron with charcoal in clay pots, controlled in smelting furnaces.
• Francis Buchanan studied Wootz production in Mysore in 1800, noting its skilled smelting process.
• By the mid-19th century, Wootz production declined due to British iron and steel imports.
• Iron smelting was widespread in Bihar and Central India, with communities like the Agarias specializing in it.
• Smelting furnaces used sun-dried clay bricks, with men smelting and women operating bellows.

Decline of the Craft of Iron Smelting

• British forest laws restricted access to wood for charcoal and iron ore, forcing smelters to abandon their craft.
• High taxes on smelting furnaces added financial strain on smelters.
• British iron and steel imports reduced demand for Indian-smelted iron, leading to the decline of local smelting.
• Many smelters took up other jobs or moved away from their villages.

Setting up of Iron and Steel Factories

• Jamsetji Tata envisioned an Indian iron and steel industry but died in 1904 before its realization.
• The Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) was established in Sakchi (now Jamshedpur, Jharkhand) and began producing steel in 1912.
• British rule slowed industrial growth by not supporting Indian industries.
• During the First World War, TISCO supplied rails, shells, and carriage wheels as British imports declined.
• By 1919, the colonial government purchased 90% of TISCO’s steel, making it the largest steel industry in the British Empire.
• Indian industries grew during the war due to reduced British imports and increased local demand.
• The National Movement and stronger industrial classes pushed for government protection of Indian industries.

Beginning of Industrialization in Japan

• Japan’s industrialization began in the late 19th century under the Meiji regime (from 1868).
• Unlike India, Japan’s government supported industrialization to resist Western domination.
• Japan imported Western technology, adapted it, and trained local professionals with foreign experts.
• Government-backed banks provided loans, and large industries were later sold to business families at low rates.
• In contrast, British policies in India hindered industrialization to protect their own markets.

Points To Remember

• During the Industrial Revolution, the British started relying on India as a source of raw materials and a market for their finished products.
• The Industrial Revolution kicked off in the 18th century, shifting from handmade goods to machine-made products.
• The British implemented a 'one-way free trade' policy, meaning they didn’t pay taxes on exports to India, while Indian goods faced heavy duties entering Britain.
• British policies, along with economic shifts, led to the decline of Indian industries like textiles, spinning, and weaving, as well as crafts such as glassmaking and paper production.
• Key Indian weaving communities, like the tanti weavers in Bengal and julahas in North India, along with spinners, dyers, and washermen, suffered greatly.
• In 1813, the Charter Act ended the trade monopoly of the East India Company in India.
• By the 1830s, British cotton textiles flooded India. In the 1880s, two-thirds of cotton clothing in India was imported, impacting local weavers and craftsmen who were forced to abandon their looms.
• The first cotton mill in India was established in Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1854 by Cowasjee Nanabhoy, marking the start of the First World War (1914–1918). Cotton production in India grew significantly during this time.
• Over the 19th century, textile imports from Britain became a common feature in India, especially in Bihar and Central India. However, by the late 19th century, the Indian craft industry declined.
• Indian artisans and Steel Company (TISCO) was set up in Jharkhand in 1912.
• By the time of the First World War, British industries dominated, but Indian industries began developing to meet war demands and reduce dependency.