Weavers, Iron Smelters and Factory Owners

Question 1.
What kinds of cloth had a large market in Europe?

Answer:
Chintz (chhint), Cossaes (Khassa) and Bandanna. Bandanna word was derived from the word bandhan . It referred to a variety of brightly coloured cloth, produced through a method of tying and dying.

Question 2.
What is jamdani?

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

Question 3.
What is bandanna?

Answer:
Bandanna is a brightly coloured and printed scarf for neck and head. This word was derived from the word Bandhan. It referred to a variety of brightly coloured cloth, produced through a method of tying and dying.

Question 4.
Who are the Agarias?

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

Question 5.
Fill in the blanks:

1. The word chintz comes from the word ________
2. Tipu’s sword was made of _____ steel.
3. India’s textile exports declined in the _____ century.

Answer:

1. chintz
2. Wootz
3. 19th.

Question 6.
How do the names of different textiles tell us about their history?

Answer:

• European traders first saw fine cotton cloth from India in Mosul in present-day Iraq. They referred to all finely woven textiles as “muslin”.
• Portuguese first came to India in search of spices and landed in Calicut on the Kerala coast in south-west India. They took back cotton textiles to Europe, along with the spices. They named it “Calico”. Subsequently Calico became the general name for all cotton textiles.
• Many other words point to the popularity of Indian textiles in Western markets.
• The pieces included printed cotton cloths called Chintz, (?5fe), Cossaes (or Khassa) and
• Bandanna is a brightly coloured and printed scarf for the neck or head. This term was derived from the word “Bandanna” (Hindi for tying).
• Other clothes were known by their place of origin: Kasimbazar, Patna, Calcutta, Orissa and Charpoore.
• The widespread use of such words shows how popular Indian textiles had become in different parts of the world.

Question 7.
Why did the wool and silk producers in England protest against the import of Indian textiles in the early eighteenth century?

Answer:
Textile industry had just begun to develop in England in the early 18th century. The wool and silk producers in England found themselves unable to compete with Indian textiles. They wanted to secure the market within the country by preventing the entry of Indian textiles. Therefore, they protested against its import.

Question 8.
How did the development of cotton industries in Britain affect textile producers in India?

Answer:
Cotton industries in Britain developed and adversely affected textile producers in India in several ways:
1. Indian textiles faced competition from British textiles in the European and American markets.

2. Export of textiles to England became more and more difficult because the British Govt, imposed very high duties on Indian textiles.
3. In the beginning of the 19th century, cotton textiles made in Britain successfully ousted Indian goods from their traditional markets in Africa, America and Europe.
4. Thousands of weavers in India were now thrown out of employment.

• Bengal weavers were the worst hit.
• English and European companies stopped to buy Indian goods. Their agents no longer gave out advances to weavers to secure supplies.
• Distressed weavers wrote petitions to the government to help them.

5. By the 1830s British cotton cloth flooded Indian markets. Actually by the 1880s, 67% of all the cotton clothes worn by Indians were made of cloth produced in Britain. This affected not only specialist weavers but also spinners.
6. Thousands of rural spinner women were rendered jobless.

Question 9.
Why did the Indian iron smelting industry declined in the nineteenth century?

Answer:
There were several reasons:

1. The new forest laws of the colonial government prevented people from entering the reserved forests. Now it became difficult for the iron smelters to find wood for charcoal. Getting iron ore was also a big problem. Hence, many gave up their craft and looked for other jobs.
2. In some areas the government did grant access to the forest. But the iron smelters had to pay a very high tax to the forest department for every furnace they used. This reduced their income.
3. By the late 19th century iron and steel were being imported from Britain. Ironsmiths in India began using the imported iron to manufacture utensils and implements. This inevitably lowered the demand for iron produced by local smelters.
   All these reasons caused the decline of the Indian iron smelting industry.

Question 10.
What problems did the Indian textile industry face in the early years of its development?

Answer:
During the early period of its development, the textile industry in India faced many problems.

• In most countries, governments supported local manufacturers by imposing heavy duties on imports. This finished the competition and protected their infant industries.
• English producers wanted a secure market within the country by preventing the entry of Indian textiles. British government enacted the Calico Act.
• The colonial government in India usually refused such protection to local industries.

Question 11.
What helped TISCO expand steel production during the First World War?

Answer:
Before the First World War India imported British steel for rails. When in 1914 the war broke out, steel produced in Britain now had to meet the demands of the war in Europe. So, imports ‘of British steel into India declined and the Indian Railways turned to TISCO for the supply of rails.

As the war dragged on for several years, TISCO had to produce shells and carriage wheels for the war. By 1919 the colonial government was buying 90% of the steel manufactured by TISCO. Over time TISCO became the biggest steel industry within the British empire.

Question 12.
Find out about the history of any craft around the area you live in. You may wish to know about the community of craftsmen, the changes in the techniques they use, and the markets they supply. How have these changed in the past 50 years?

Answer:
History of Handloom weaving:

• Spinning of thread
• Weaving by Julahas in village
• Sale of the fabric in the local market
• Looms were set up
• Fabric woven for local, national and international markets
• Powerlooms
• International markets.

Changes in the Past 50 years

• Constitution of All India Handloom board in 1952.
• Government support for the supply of yam, dyes chemicals, etc.
• Encouragement by giving awards.
• Insurance cover against calamities etc.

Question 13.
On a map of India, locate the centres of different crafts today. Find out when these centres came up.

Answer: