8-HISTORY: Ch 7 Weavers, Iron Smelters and Factory Owners

 

HISTORY: Ch 7 Weavers, Iron Smelters and Factory             Owners

 

EXERCISE:

Q1. What kinds of cloth had a large market in Europe? 
Answer: Cotton and silk textiles had a huge market in Europe. Indian textiles were by far the most popular, both for their fine quality and exquisite craftsmanship. Different varieties of Indian textiles were sold in the Western markets; for example, chintz, cossaes or khassa, bandanna and jamdani.
2. What is jamdani?
 Answer: 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 is used.
Q3. What is bandanna? 
Answer: 'Bandanna' refers to brightly coloured and printed scarf for the neck or head produced through a method of tying and dying.
Q4. Who are the Agarias?
Answer: The Agarias are an Indian community of iron smelters.
Q 5. 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.
Answer (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.
Q6. How do the names of different textiles tell us about their histories? 
Answer →European traders first encountered fine cotton clothes from Indian carried by Arab merchants in Mosul in presentday Iraq. So they began referring to all finely woven textiles as 'muslin' – a word acquired wide currency
. Calico: When Portuguese first came to India in search of spices they landed in Calicut on the Kerala coast in South West India. The cotton textiles which they took back to Europe, along with the spices, came to called “Calico” (derived from Calicut) and subsequently calico became the general name for all cotton textiles.
  Chintz is derived from the Hindi word chhint, a cloth with small and colourful flowery designs.

  Bandanna now refers to any brightly coloured and printed scarf for the neck or head. Originally the term derived from the word “bandanna” (Hindi for tying).
 Q7. Why did the wool and silk producers in England protest against the import of Indian textiles in the early eighteenth century?
Answer: By the early eighteenth century, worried by the popularity of Indian textiles, the wool and silk makers in England began protesting against the import of Indian cotton textiles. At this time, the textile industries had just begun to develop in England. Unable to compete with Indian textiles, English producers wanted a secure market within the country by preventing the entry of Indian textiles.
Q8. How did the development of cotton industries in Britain affect textile producers in India? 

Answer :Effects of the development of cotton industries in Britain on the textile producers in India:
1) Indian textiles had to compete with British textiles in European and American markets.
 2) Exporting textiles to England became increasingly difficult due to the very high duties imposed on Indian textiles imported into Britain.
3)  The English and European companies stopped buying Indian textiles and their agents no longer gave out advances to weavers to secure supplies.
4) Thus, Indian textiles declined in the nineteenth century, and thousands of Indian weavers and spinners lost their livelihood.

5)Indian weavers became unemployed.
Q9. Why did the Indian iron smelting industry decline in the nineteenth century?
Answer The Indian iron smelting industry declined in the nineteenth century because of  the following reasons.
1)The forest laws implemented by the colonial administration prevented the free movement of people in reserved forests. Charcoal - an essential ingredient in the iron smelting process - could therefore not be obtained easily.
2) When in some areas the government did grant access to the forests, the iron smelters were in return required to pay a very high amount in tax to the forest department for every furnace they used. This reduced their income.
 3) By the late nineteenth century, iron and steel was being imported from Britain. Ironsmiths began using the imported iron to manufacture utensils and implements. This reduced the demand for iron produced by local smelters.
 4) In the late nineteenth century, a series of famines devastated the dry tracts of India. As a result, many of the local smelters stopped work, deserted their villages, and migrated, looking for some other work to survive the hard
 10. What problems did the Indian textile industry face in the early years of its development? 

Answer: The development of cotton industries in Britain affected textile producers in India in several ways.
1) Indian textiles now had to compete with British textiles in the European and American markets. Exporting textiles to England also became increasingly difficult since very high duties were imposed on Indian textiles imported into Britain.
2) Thousands of weavers in India were now thrown out of employment.
3)Bengal weavers were the worst hit. English and European companies stopped buying Indian goods and their agents no longer gave out advances to weavers to secure supplies.
4)The textile factory industry in India  found it difficult to compete with the cheap textiles imported from Britain.
5) In most countries, governments supported industrialisation by imposing heavy duties on imports. This eliminated competition and protected infant industries.
11. What helped TISCO expand steel production during the First World War? 
Answer-This was because of the following reasons-
 1) In 1914 the First World War broke out.
2) Steel produced in Britain now had to meet the demands of war in Europe.
3) So imports of British steel into India declined dramatically and the Indian Railways turned to TISCO for the supply of rails.
4) As the war dragged on for several years, TISCO had to produce shells and carriage wheels for the war.
5) By 1919 the colonial government was buying 90 percent of the steel manufactured by TISCO.
 6) Over time TISCO became the biggest steel industry within the British Empire.

 

Extra questions :

Question.1. Give two reasons why Indian textiles were renowned all over the world.
Answer. Their fine quality and beautiful craftsmanship made them renowned all over the world.

Question.2. Why were printed Indian cotton textiles I popular in England?
Answer. Printed Indian cotton textiles were popular in England for their exquisite floral designs, fine texture and relative cheapness.

Question.3. During which period patola weaving was famous?
Answer. It was famous during the mid-19th century.

Question.4. Name the origin of the word calico.
Answer. Calicut.

Question.5. Name the important centres of jamdani weaving.
Answer. Dacca in Bengal and Lucknow in the United Provinces (U.P.).

Question.6. Name two places where chintz were produced during the mid-19th century.
Answer. Masulipatnam and Andhra Pradesh.

Question.7. How did European trading companies purchase cotton and silk textiles in India?
Answer. European trading companies purchased cotton and silk textiles in India by importing silver.

Question.8. Name the household spinning instrument.
Answer. Charkha and takli.

Question.9. What did Mahatma Gandhi urge people during the national movement?
Answer. During the national movement Mahatma Gandhi urged people to boycott imported textiles and use hand-spun and hand-woven cloth.

Question.10 .What became a symbol of nationalism?
Answer. Khadi became a symbol of nationalism.

Question.11. How did growth of cotton mills in the country prove to be a boon for the poor peasants, artisans and agricultural labourers?
Answer. They got work in the mills.

Question.12 .How did Indian cotton factories prove to be helpful during the First .World War?
Answer. They began to produce cloth for military supplies.

Question.13. Why was Tipu’s sword so special?
Answer. Tipu’s sword was made of Wootz steel. Wootz steel when made into swords produced a very sharp edge that could easily rip through the opponent’s armour.

Question.14. Why was the Wootz steel making process completely lost by the mid- 19th century?
Answer. There are two reasons for it:
(a) The sword and armour making industry died with the conquest of India by the British.
(b) Imports of iron and steel from England displaced the iron and steel produced by craftsmen in India.

Question.15. What were the furnaces made of?
Answer. The furnaces were made of clay and sun-dried bricks.

Question.16.Why were bellows used?
Answer. Bellows were used to keep the charcoal burning.