How did the industrial revolution in england affect the indian handicraft industry

Britain’s cotton industry grew at pace throughout the Industrial Revolution. Cotton was introduced to the country in the 16th century and by the 1700s it had changed the way people dressed. To keep up with increasing demand, cotton mills sprung up across Britain, especially in the north of England. Thanks to the water coming down from the Pennines, the North of England developed a thriving cotton industries. The fast flowing rivers coming down from the Pennines provided the power supply for the factories, although this would later be supplied by coal power. It also provided fresh, clean water with which to wash the material. Liverpool also boasted a thriving cotton industry thanks to the strong transport links through its ports. In 1774 a heavy tax on cotton thread and cloth made in Britain was repealed, further boosting the cotton industry. Furthermore, numerous inventions and technological development transformed the cotton industry, in turn helping to establish the UK as the cotton ‘workshop of the world’. One such invention was the ‘Flying Shuttle’, which was created by John Kay in 1733 and enabled cloth to be weaved faster than before. Another was the ‘Spinng Jenny’, which was created by James Hargreaves in 1765 - two decades later and the number of threads that could spun by a single machine increased from six to 80. ‘Water Frame’, patented by Richard Arkwright in 1769, embraced waterpower, but it also produced a higher quality thread than Hargreaves’ spinning jenny....

In this article we will discuss about:- 1. Disruption of the Traditional Economy 2. Ruin of Artisans and Craftsmen 3. Impoverishment of the Peasantry 4. Ruin of Old Zamindars and Rise of New Landlordism 5. Stagnation and Deterioration of Agriculture 6. Development of Modern Industries 7. Poverty and Famines. Contents: • Disruption of the Traditional Economy • Ruin of Artisans and Craftsmen • Impoverishment of the Peasantry • Ruin of Old Zamindars and Rise of New Landlordism • Stagnation and Deterioration of Agriculture • Development of Modern Industries • Poverty and Famine 1. Disruption of the Traditional Economy: The economic policies followed by the British led to the rapid transformation of India’s economy into a colonial economy whose nature and structure were determined by the needs of the British economy. In this respect the British conquest of India differed from all previous foreign conquests. The previous conquerors had overthrown Indian political powers, but had made no basic changes in the country’s economic structure; they had gradually become a part of Indian life, political as well as economic. The peasant, the artisan and the trader had continued to lead the same type of existence as before. ADVERTISEMENTS: The basic economic pattern that of the self-sufficient rural economy, had been perpetuated. Change of rulers had merely meant change in the personnel of those who appropriated the peasant’s surplus. But the British conquerors were entirely different. The...

• You’ve now read four articles about four very different sorts of experience with Western imperialism and industrialization. Why do you think that Japan escaped the sort of colonialism and de-industrialization that China, Egypt, and India all experienced? • How does an event like the de-industrialization of India support, extend, or challenge the production and distribution frame narrative? Before 1750, much of the world went shopping for textiles (cloth) in India. Some historians believe that India was the most important manufacturer in world trade, producing about 25 percent of the world's industrial output at that time. After 1750, this changed dramatically, and by the mid-nineteenth century, most textile production had shifted to Britain. A key part of that story is the de-industrialization of India. India's strong economy was based on the exports of the cotton textiles manufactured there. It was devastated by European industrialization and the commercial changes this inspired. India's impressive textile output had relied on hand-loom technology, but that part of the process was now done by machines in Britain 4,500 miles away. British industrialists were also careful not to let the new technology get into the hands of competitors in India. As a result, the Indian economy collapsed. Millions of laborers lost their jobs and had to work in cash-crop agriculture—specifically, raw cotton—to survive. So instead of exporting cloth (a manufactured good) India became an expor...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc./Kenny ChmielewskiThe term Industrial Revolution refers to the process of change in modern history from a farming and handicraft economy to one dominated by industry and machine manufacturing. The process began inBritain, where the Industrial Revolution was largely confined from the 1760s to the 1830s. From Britain the revolution spread gradually throughout Europe and to the United States and other parts of the world. Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection (B1986.29.390)The most important of the changes that brought about the Industrial Revolution were (1) the invention of machines to do the work of hand tools, (2) the use of steam and later of other kinds of power, and (3) the adoption of the factory system. Sweeping social changes occurred, including the growth ofcities and the development of working-class movements. Urban areas grew rapidly as rural populations flocked to the cities for work. For millions of laborers, industrialization often meant substandard wages and working conditions. Workers periodically went on strike to force owners to meet their demands for better conditions. Other countries lagged behind Britain in industrializing, but once Germany, the United States, and Japan achieved industrial power, they outstripped Britain’s initial successes. Eastern European counties lagged into the 20th century, and not until the mid-20th century did the Industrial Revolution spread to such countries as China and India.

The following points highlight the six main impacts of British colonial rule on the Indian economy. The impacts are: 1. Destruction of Indian Handicrafts 2. New Land System 3. Commercialisation of Agriculture 4. Development of Railway Network 5. Occurrence of Famines 6. Transforming Trade Pattern. British Colonial Rule: Impact # 1. Destruction of Indian Handicrafts: The Industrial Revolution in England created a serious impact on Indian economy as it reversed the character and composition of India’s foreign trade. This led to destruction of Indian handicrafts although there was no substantial growth of modern factory industry. The factors which were responsible for the gradual decay of Indian handicrafts were—disappearance of princely courts and their patronage, aggressive trade policy of the East India Company and the British Government, increasing competition of British machine—made goods and increasing demand for Western commodities as a result of foreign influence. ADVERTISEMENTS: The destruction of Indian handicrafts created a vacuum in Indian markets which was subsequently fed by British manufactured goods. The destruction of Indian handicrafts led to serious unemployment problem and the weavers were most seriously affected. Moreover, this unemployed craftsmen and artisans could not find any alternative occupation open to them and thus they had to return to agricultural sector leading to ‘progressive ruralisation of India’. Thus, this dependence of population on agri...