Tales From Weavers, Iron Smelters And Factory Owners

When the British were ruling over India, then iron, textiles, and steel industries emerged. The industrialization of Britain had a close connection to the colonization of India. During that time India was a leading country in the fields of crafts and trades because of the new industrial revolution. Britain acquired the title of “Workshop of the World”. 

The industrialization of Britain has a deep relation with the conquest and colonization of India. There was an advanced growth in India in industrial production, hence the foreign industrialists began to take India as the main market for their industrial products. The import and export of goods between Britain and India increased over the years. In this article, we will learn about the tales from weavers, iron smelters and factory owners that were responsible for the industrialisation and colonization in India.

Indian Textiles and the World Market

The largest producer of cotton textiles in the world was India in the year 1750. The Indian goods were known in the world for their exquisite craftsmanship and superfine quality which became the reason for the popularity of the cotton textile. The traders from Europe were interested in Indian textiles and bought them for the selling purpose in Europe in the post 16th century.

Indian textiles were popular in the markets of the west by different names like  ‘Calico’ (derived from Calicut) and Muslin. The printed cotton clothes were called Chintz (derived from chhint). . When the textile pieces were ordered in huge quantities then it was called “bandanna”.

Indian Textiles in European Markets

The government of Britain established legislation that had the objective to ban the use of Chintz or printed cotton textiles in England in the year 1720. Further, they copied the designs of weavers of India and further printed them in a similar pattern of Indian cotton textiles in England on unbleached plain Indian cloth or the Muslin. John Kaye invented the Spinning Jenny in order to promote industrialization in the year 1764. 

Indian Weavers

Weavers belonged to the weave community and they gained specialization in their work which was weaving. Millions of Indians have improved their livelihoods and gained through handloom weaving along with the different weave occupations. It helped Indians to gain a comfortable mode of occupation.

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The Decline of Indian Textiles

There was a sharp decline in the demand for cotton produced by textile producers in India after the development of the cotton industries in England. At the start of the 19th century, Indian goods were completely overshadowed by the cotton textile crafted by the British from their traditional markets in the continents of America, Europe and Africa.

The goods produced in India were stopped by the European and English companies completely. Later British cotton cloth was all over the Indian market by the 1830s. As a result of this, a lot of women from the rural villages of India were out of work who made their living by spinning cotton thread.

All of these circumstances led to the development of the National Movement. Mahatma Gandhi developed the National Movement. He urged the Indians to use only Indian handwoven and handspun cloths and to boycott the imported textiles. Because of this movement Khadi clothes became the symbol of Nationalism in India.

Cotton Mills Come up

The first cotton mill of India was established in the year 1854 in Bombay as a spinning mill. There were around more than 84 mills established by 1900 in Bombay. In the time of the first World War, there was the first attempt in the development of cotton factory production in India. It became possible only due to the decline of textile imports from Britain. It eventually led to the progress in the production of the Indian factories that were then producing the cloth for the military supplies.

Iron and Steel Factories

The oldest son of Jamshedji Tata, Dorabji Tata started a modern iron and steel plant in India in the year 1904 in collaboration with Charles Weld, an American geologist. Later the Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO)  in 1912  was established and began the production of steel in bulk. 

After two years of the establishment of TISCO, the First World War broke out. As a result of the First World War, there was a decline in the imports of British Steel in India. At this time the Indian Railways for the supply of rails turned to TISCO. Due to the passage of time within the British Empire, TISCO became the number one steel industry in India.

Abandoned Furnaces in Villages

A special technique for the refining of iron was needed for the production of the wootz steel. In the late 19th century, there was a phase of decline in the craft of iron smelting. Therefore people started leaving the craft of iron smelting and started searching for other means of livelihood. But in the early 20th century, the artisans faced a new compition who were involved in the production of iron and steel.

Do you know?

Wootz was a high quality carbon steel that was produced all over South India. This carbon steel was used in the manufacture of swords. The swords and armor making industry collapsed when the British arrived because iron and steel from Britain replaced the need.

Conclusion

The markets of India were a great source of industrial products and the potential for the British industrialists. Hence we get to know about the tales from the weavers, iron smelters and factory owners which lead to industrialization and colonization in India. The Indian textile industry declined because of foreigners' marketing strategy.