vilHISTORY/CHAPTER-7

WEAVERSJRON SMELTORS& FACTORY OWNERS

INTRODUCTION

Industrial Revolution in Britain promioted East India Company's interest to territorial

expansian in India. In the late 18th cent, the company was buying goods in India and
exporting therri to England and urope, making profit through thig sale India Was seen as
a vast market for theit industrial products Wth the passage of time, manufactured goods
of Britain began flooding in the indian markets. Around 1750, before the Britioh
conuered Bengal, India wus the largest producer of cotton textile in the world market
Indian handicrafts and textiles were in hrigh demand and reputed for their quality and
excellent craftsmanuhip.

wORDS TELL US HISTORIES

The name and the deriviation of words of the taextiles which were famous in European
markets had some inteesting stories-

"Muslin: The cloth derived its name from the place 'Mosul' in Iraq where the Arab
merchants sold fine quality ndian cotton
Chinte: The word 'Chint is deived from the Hindi word Chhint' which meanis a cloth
with colourful flowerydesign
Calico: It derives its name from Calicut.The Portuguese fist landed at Calicut where the
fabric originated. Therefore, the cotton textile they back to Europe came to be known as
Calico

"Bandanna The word 'Bandanna'- a bright coloured printed scarf has been derived from
the Hindi word Bandhana' which means to tie'

INDIAN TEXTILES IN EUROPEAN MARKETS

Womied by the popularity of hdian textiles, the Britoh manufecturers prote sted aga inst
the import of Indian cotton textiles

The British govt. introduced the 'Calico Act' in 1720 to ban the use of indian cotton
textiles

indian designs were imitated and printed in England but the attempts were not
successfd
Competition with Indian textiles also led to a search for technological innovation in
England. John Kaye's invention 'Spinnirg Jeriny' in 1764 increased the productivity of
spindles h 1786, Richard Awkright inverted the steam ergine which revolutionized
cotton texti le weaving.

However, Indian tetiles contnued to dorinance world wrade til the end of the 19h
century

THE COMMUNITY OF WEAVERS

The people who are skilled in art of weaving were weavers.The profession was usualy
hereditary and weaving skills were taught by one generation to the net. The first stage of
cloth production was spinning- a work mostly done by the women.The charkha and taki
were household spinning instruments.The threod was spun on the chakha and rolled on
the tak When the spinning was over the theead was weaven ito cloth by the weaver
which was mostly done by men For coloured tetilen, the thread was dyed by the dyers
known as rangrezs For printed cloth the weavers needed the help of specialist block
printers known an chipigars.

CAUSES FOR THE DECLUNE OF INDIAN TEXTILES

"Indian textiles had to compete with British textiles in the European and American
markets

Since very high duties were imposed on Indian textles, exporting to England became
difficult

By the ewly19h cemt, Engishmade cotton textilen eosy ousted indian goods from thei
tradisonal markets in Africa America and Europe

European companies stopped buving indian goods and their agents no longer gave out
advances to weavers to secure supplies

wHAT HAPPENED TO HANDLOOM WEAVING

Haindloom weaving didn't completely die in India. This was because some types of dlots
could not be suppled by machines. These had a wide denand not only amongst the rich
but also amongst the middle classes. Nor did the textile manufacturers in Britain produce
the ery cor se cloths used by the poor people in India. During the rational movement of
India, Gandhi urged people to boycott imported texties and use the hand-upun and
hand woven cloth. Khadi became a symbol of nationalam. The charkha came to
represent India, and it was put at the centre of the tricolor flag of the Indian National
Congress adopted in 1931

WHAT HAPPENED TO WEAVERS AND SPINNERS?

Many weavers became agricuftural labourers Some migrated to cities in order to get
liveihood

Some others went out of the country to work in plantations in Africa and South America.
Some of themmanaged to get the work in cotton mils that were setup in
Bombay Ahmedabad Stholapur, Nagpur and Kanpur
ESTABLISHMENT OF COTTON MLLS IN INDIA

The first cotton mill in india was set up as a spinning mill in Bombay in 1854 By 1900,
over 84 mils started operating in Bombay Many of these were set up by the Parsi ond
Gujarati businessmen who had made their money thirough trade with China Mils came
up in other ities too. The first mil in Ahmedabad was started in 1861 Ayear later in
1862, a mil was set up in Kanpur

PROBLEMS FACED BY THE TEXTLE FACTORIES IN INDIA

It found difficuty in competing with the cheap textles imported from Britain. Irn most
countfes, the govt. imposed heavy dutes on import to protect their infant induutries.The
Britiah govt. in refused such protection to local industnies Fortunately, during the Fit
World War when textile imports for Britain declined and Indian factories were called upon
to produce cloth for militarysupplies
WoODZ STEEL

It was a special type of high carbon steel which was produced all over South India
Woodz steel when made into swords produced a very sharp edge with flowering pattem
Ths pattem came from very omall carbon crystal embedded n the iron The nword of
Tipu Sultan was made of voodz steel. Woodz is an anglicized version of the Kannada
word 'ukku, Telgu word 'hukku' and Tamil and Malayalam word 'urukku-meaning steel
Tho steel was produced in hundreds of smelting fumaces in Mysore(south India), In
these fumaces, iron was mixed with charcoal and put inside amall clay pots and finally a
tougth steel was produced However, the woodz steel making process wan completely lost
by the mid 19th cent. Perhaps, due to imports of iron and steel from England diaplaoced
this steel production

WHAT HAPPENED TO IRON SMELTING INDUSTRY OF INDIA?

By the late 19h cent, the craft of iron smelting was declined, fumaces fll into disuse. This
was due to following reasons

New forest laws introduced by the British govt. prevented people to enter the forest from
where the iron smelters obtained the wood for charcoal.

Many gave up their craft and looked for other means of livelihood.

The iron ameiters had to pay a very high tax to the forest department which reduced their
income
By the late 19h cen. Iron and steel was being imported from Britain As Indi an ironamiths
started using imported ironthis lowered the demand for iran produced by local smelters

IRON AND STEEL FACTORES COME UP IN INDIA

In 1904, Dorabji Tata and an Armeric an geologist Charles Weid decided to set up iron and
steef factory in India. After a tinng search, present day's Jamohedpur vs decided as a
place to develop an iron factory A large area of forest was cleared and an industrial
township was developed where iron ore deposits were located. In 1907. finailly the Tato
Iron &Steel Company was established on the confluence of two rivers Subarmarekha and
Kharkai It was started its operation in 1912. TISCO was set up at an opportune time.
Expansion of the railways in India had provided a huge matket for rails that British
produced In 1914, the imports of Bntish steel into lndia declined as British industries
diverted to meet the war related equipments for WW1.
Now the Indian Railways tumed to TISCO for supply of rails. As was dragged on tor
several years, TISCO had to produce shels and camiage wheels for the war By 1919, the
British govt. was buying 90% of the steel marufactured by TISCO. Over time TISCO
became the biggest steel industry within the British empire and earned huge profit.