IMPORTANT TERMS

• Industrialization: It is the process by which an economy is

transformed from primarily agricultural to one based on the
manufacturing of goods.
• Proto-industrialization: Period before or beginning of
Industrialization.
• Industrial Revolution: The revolution that replaced the cottage
industry by the factories.
• Spinning Jenny: This machine was invented by James
Hargreaves in 1764. It speeded up the spinning process and
reduced labour demand.
• Gomasthas: They were the paid servants who were appointed
by the East India Company to supervise weavers, collect
supplies and examine the quality of cloth.
• Fuller: A person who ‘fulls’ i.e., gathers cloth by pleating.
• Stapler: A person who ‘staples’ or sorts wool according to its
fibre.
• Sepoy: An Indian soldier in the service of the British.
• Dyer: A person who dyes fabrics.
• Jobber: A person employed by the industrialists to get new
recruits for the mills.
• Carding: The process in which fibres, such as cotton or wool
are prepared prior to spinning.
• Entrepreneurs: The persons, who make money by starting or
running businesses, especially when this involves taking
financial risks.
• Guild: An association of craftsmen or merchants following the
same craft. These guilds protected the interests of the
 members and supervised the quality of the product and work.
• Metropolis: A large and densely populated city of a country or a
state, often the capital of the region.
• Vagrant: A person who has no home or jobs, especially one
who begs.
• Fly Shuttle: It is a mechanical device used for weaving, moved
by means of ropes and pulleys. It places the horizontal threads
(called the weft) into the vertical threads (called the warp).

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 IMPORTANT DATES
• 1600: Establishment of the East India Company.
• 1730s: The earliest factories in England came up.
• 1764: James Hargreaves invented the Spinning Jenny.
• 1771: Richard Arkwright created the first cotton mill.
• 1781: James Watt patented the Steam Engine.
• 1781: Matthew Boulton manufactured the new model of the
Steam Engine.
• 1830-1840s: Dwarkanath Tagore set up six joint stock
companies in Bengal.
• 1854: The first cotton mill was set up in Bombay.
• 1855: The first jute mill was established in Bengal.
• 1856: The first cotton mill in Bombay started production.
• 1863: London Underground Railway started operation.
• 1874: The first spinning and weaving mill of Madras began its
production.
• 1900: Music publisher E.T. Paull produced a music book.
• 1912: J.N. Tata set up the first iron and steel plant in India at
Jamshedpur.
• 1917: Seth Hukumchand, a Marwari businessman, set up the
first Indian jute mill in Calcutta.

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1.Who set up the first Indian Jute Mill in Calcutta?
(a) G.D. Birla
(b) Seth Hukumchand
(c) Jamsetjee Nusserwanjee Tata
(d) Dwarkanath Tagore
2. A fuller’s job is to
(a) pick up wool
(b) sort wool according to its fibre
(c) gather cloth by pleating
(d) carry wool to the spinner
3. Which of the following countries faced labour shortage in
the nineteenth century?
(a) America
(b) Britain
(c) France
(d) Germany
4. The ports of Surat and Hoogly decayed in the
(a) sixteenth century
(b) seventeenth century
(c) eighteenth century
(d) nineteenth century
5. The first cotton mill in India was established in
(a) Madras
(b) Calcutta
(c) Gujarat
(d) Bombay
6. Dwarkanath Tagore was alan
(a) philanthropist
(b) educationist
(c) social reformer
(d) industrialist
7. Why did the weavers suffer from a problem of raw cotton?
(a) The cotton crop perished
(b) Raw cotton exports increased
(c) Local markets shrank
(d) Export market collapsed
8. In Victorian Britain the upper classes- aristocratic class and
bourgeoisie preferred handmade goods because:
(a) they were made from imported material.
(b) the handmade goods came to symbolize refinement and
class.
(c) they were better finished.
(d) only upper class could afford the expensive items.
9. By late 19th century why did the British manufacturers print
calendars for advertisements?
(a) Indian people were fond of using calendars in their
houses.
(b) Unlike newspapers and magazines, calendars were used
even by people who did not know how to read or write.
(c) It was cheaper to advertise goods through calendars.
(d) It used to add beauty to the room.
10. Which of the following innovations helped the weavers in
increasing productivity and compete with mill sector?
(a) Spining jenny
(b) Fly shuttle
(c) Cotton Gin
(d) Roller
11. What do you mean by ‘Gomastha’?
(a) An officer of the Company who acted as a go-between the
Company and Indian traders
(b) An officer of the East India Company who looked after the
textile trade
(c) A paid servant of the Company who supervised weavers,
collected supplies and examined the quality of the cloth
(d) None of these
12. According to historians, who was the typical worker in the
mid-nineteenth century?
(a) Craftsperson and labourer
(b) Machine operator
(c) Unskilled labour
(d) None of these
13. What do you mean by Carding?
(a) In spinning
(b) In weaving
(c) In which cotton or wool fibres are prepared for spinning
(d) In which finishing of cloth is done
14. Who was the Staplers and Fullers?
(a) Gathers cloth by pleating
(b) Sorts wool according to its fibre
(c) Both a and b
(d) None of these
15. What was the reason behind new merchants could not set
up business in the towns in Europe?
(a) The rules became barrier
(b) Scarcity of product to start any business
(c) The powerful trade guilds and urban crafts made it difficult
(d) None of these
16. Which pre-colonial port connected India to the Gulf
countries and the Red Sea ports?
(a) Bombay
(b) Hooghly
(c) Surat
(d) Machhalipatanam
17. Who produced music book that Dawn of the Century?
(a) New Comen
(b) James Watt
(c) E. T. Paul
(d) None of these
18. What were supply during the First World War from Indian
factories?
(a) Jute bags and cloth for army uniforms
(b) Tents and leather boots
(c) Horse and mule saddles
(d) All of these
19. When did the export of Indian yarn to China declined?
(a) 1906
(b) 1910
(c) 1915
(d) 1902
20. Which War caused new problems for Indian weavers?
(a) The American Civil War
(b) First world war
(c) Second world war
(d) None of these

ANSWERS
1. b 12. a
2. c 13. c
3. a 14. c
4. b 15. c
5. b 16. c
6. d 17. c
7. b 18. d
8. b 19. a
9. b 20. a
10. b
11. c
1. What were the problems of Indians weavers at the
early 19th century?
Ans. The problems of Indians weavers at the early 19th century
:
• Shortage of raw material – as raw cotton exports from
India increased the price of raw cottonshot up. Weavers in
India were starved of supplies and forced to buy raw
cotton at higher prices.
• Clashes with Gomasthas- the Gomasthas acted arrogantly
and punished weavers for delays insupply. So the weavers
clashed with them.
• System of Advances- The Britishers started the system of
advances to regularizes the supply.The weavers eagerly
took the advances in a hope to earn more but they failed to
do so. They even started loosing small plots of land which
they had earlier cultivated.
2. “Although wages increased somewhat in the
nineteenth century, yet they could not improve the
welfare of the workers.” How far do you agree with the
statement?
Ans. I agree with this statement due to the following facts:
• The average figures hide the variations between traders
and the fluctuations from year to year.
• When prices rose sharply during prolonged Napoleonic
war, the real value of what the workers earned fell
significantly.
• The same wages could now buy fewer things.
• The income of workers depended not on the wage rate
alone. What was also critical was the period of
employment.
3. Explain the position of Indian Textiles in the
international market before machines were introduced in
India.
Ans. the position of Indian Textiles in the international market
before machines was introduced in India.
• Before the age of machine industries, silk and cotton
goods from India dominated the international market in
textiles.
• Coarser cotton was produced in many countries, but the
finer varieties often came from India.
• Bales of fine textiles were carried on camel back via the
North West frontier. Also, a vibrant sea trade operated
through main pre-colonial ports- Surat, Masulipatnam and
Hoogly.
4. Explain the contribution of Dwarkanath tagore and
Jamsetjee Nusserwanjee Tata in shaping the industrial
development of India.
Ans. The contribution of Dwarkanath tagore and Jamsetjee
Nusserwanjee Tata as
• Dwarkanath tagore was involved in China trade. Later he
set up six joint-stock companies in 1830s and 1840s. He
believed that India would develop through westernization
and industrialization. He invested in shipping,
shipbuilding, mining, banking etc.
• J. N. Tata was initially involved in China trade and raw
cotton shipments to England. In 1912, he set up the first
iron and steel works in India at Jamshedpur.
5. “Despite of stiff competition from machine made
thread, the Indian handloom production not only
survived, but also saw a steady growth in the 20th
century”.Explain
Ans. Adopting technological changes by the weavers to
increase production without raising costs.
• Those who catered to the rich always had a demand for
their goods like Banarsi and Baluchari Saris.
 • Mills could not imitate specialized weaves. Example: Saris
with intricate boarders, lungies and handkerchief.
• Handmade products came to symbolize refinement and
class.
6. How were machines and technology glorified in
England in the early 20th century through pictures on
the cover pages of some books?
Ans. Machines and technology glorified in England in the early
20th century through pictures on the cover pages of some
books as:
• The cover page of a music book a published by E. T. Paul
in 1900 shows the sign of progress as the picture of
railway, camera, machines, printing press and factory.
• The glorification of machines and technology is even more
marked on the cover page of a trade magazine.
• The trade magazine shows two magicians. Aladdin is
shown as representing the East and the past. Where the
one is the mechanic with modern tools and builds bridges,
ships, towers and high raised buildings. He represented
the west and modernity.
7. How did the British market expanded their goods in
India?
Ans. The British market expanded their goods in India as:
• Advertisement of product – Advertisement make products
appear desirable and necessary.They try to shape the
minds of people and create new needs. During the
industrial age,advertisements have played a major role in
expanding the market for products.
• Putting labels on the cloths bundles – The labels was
needed to make the place of manufacture and the name of
the company familiar to the buyer. When buyers saw
‘MADE IN MANCHESTER’ written in bold on a label. They
would feel confident about buying the cloths.
 • Images of Indian Gods gave approval to the goods being
sold. Images of Krishna and Saraswati was intended to
make the manufacture from a foreign land appear some
what familiar to the Indian People
• Printing Calendars to popularizes their products unlike
newspapers and magazines,calendars were used even by
people who could not read. They were hung in the tea
shops and in poor people’s homes, just as much as in
offices and in middle class houses.
8. Describe any five characteristics of the proto-
industrialization system.
Ans. Five characteristics of the proto-industrialization system
are:
• Even before factories began to dot the landscape in
England and Europe there was large scale industrial
production for an international market which was not
based on factories. This phase of industrialization is
known as proto-industrialization.
• Merchants from the town in Europe began moving to the
countryside, supplying money to peasants and artisans,
persuading them to produce for an international market.
• With the expansion of world trade and the acquisition of
colonies in different parts of the world, the demand for
goods began to increase.
• But merchants could not expand production with in towns.
This was because; here urban crafts and trade guilds were
powerful.
• In the countryside poor peasants and artisans began
working for merchants. This was a time when open field
were disappearing and commons were being enclosed.
9. Describe any five major problems faced by new
European merchants in setting up their industries in
towns before the industrial revolution.
Ans. Five major problems faced by new European merchants
in setting up their industries in towns before the industrial
revolution are:
• Due to expansion of world trade the merchants wanted to
expand their production. But trade and craft guilds were
very powerful.
• They could create many problems for the merchants in
their towns.
• Rulers had granted the monopoly rights to different guild
to produce and trade in specific products.
• In the countryside, peasants and artisans were available
for work.
• Craft guilds were very powerful. They maintain control
over production, regulated completion and prices and
restricted the entry of new people in to the trade.
10. Explain any five reasons why the industrialists in
Europe prefer hand labour over machines.
Ans. Five reasons why the industrialists in Europe prefer hand
labour over machines:
• Industrialists had no problem of labour shortage or high
wage costs.
• In many industries, the demand for labour was seasonal.
Gas works and breweries were especially busy through
cold months. So they needed more workers to meet their
peak
Demand.
• Book binders and printers, catering to charismas demand
to needed extra hands before December. All those
industries where production fluctuated with the season,
industrialist usually prefer by employing workers for the
season.
• A range of products could be produced only with hand
labour.
 • In Victorian Britain the upper classes –aristocrats and
bourgeoisie- prefer things produced by hand. Handmade
products came to symbolize refinement and class.
11. What problems were faced by the Indian cotton
weavers in the nineteenth century? Explain.
Ans. Problems were faced by the Indian cotton weavers in the
nineteenth century are:
• Their export market collapsed due to increase in import
duties on them in England.
• Their local market shrank as they were flooded with cheap
Manchester imports.
• They could not get sufficient supply of raw cotton of good
quality.
• When the Americans civil war broke out and cotton
supplies from the US were cut off, Britain turned to India.
Indian weavers were forced to buy cotton at very high
prices.
• By the end of nineteenth century, factories in India began
production and flooded the market with machine goods.
This created the problem of survival for weaving
industries.
12. How did East Indian Company procure the regular
supply of cotton and silk goods?
Ans. East Indian Company procure the regular supply of
cotton and silk goods as:
• The East India Company had to face obstacle to procure
regular supply of cotton and silk textiles from Indian
weavers.
• The French, Dutch, Portuguese as well as the local traders
competed in the market. However, the East India Company
establishes political power and asserted monopoly right to
trade.
• The company tried to eliminate existing traders and have
direct control over the weaver and appointed a paid
servant called Gomasthas to supervise and collect
supplies.
• It prevented company weavers from dealing with other
buyers. One way of doing was through the system of
advances.
• Those weavers, who took loans, had to hand over the cloth
they produced to the Gomasthas. They could not take it to
any other trade.

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Read the given source and answer the following question.
In the countryside poor peasants and artisans begin working for
merchants. This was a time when open fields were disappearing
and commons were being enclosed. Cottages and poor presents
who had earlier dependent on common lands for their survival,
gathering their firewoods, berries, vegetables, hay and straw,
had to now look for alternative sources of income.

Many had tiny plots of land which could not provide work for all
members of the household. So, when merchants came around
and offered advances to produce good for them, peasant
households eagerly agreed, by working for the merchant, they
could remain in the countryside and continue to cultivate their
small plots.

Income from proto industrial production supplemented their

shrinking income from cultivation. It also allowed them a fuller
use of their family labor resources.

This proto-industrial system was thus part of a network of

commercial exchanges. It was controlled by merchants and the
goods were produced by a vast number of producers working
within their family farms, not in factories. At each stage of
production 20 to 25 workers were employed by each merchant.
This meant that each clothier was controlling hundreds of
workers.

(i) What is a proto-industrial system? Discuss its importance.

Ans. The proto-industrial system was a network of early forms of
commercial exchange before industrialisation. It was controlled by the
merchants. It was important as the peasants could cultivate their own
small patches of land and yet could earn some supplementary income by
producing for the merchants. This allowed them to make better use of the
available family resources.
(ii) Which phase of industrialisation is called Proto-industrialisation
and why?
Ans. The early phase of industrialisation in which large scale
production was carried out for international market not at factories, but
in decentralized units is called Proto-industrialization. It is called proto
industrialisation because products are made by hand only.

(iii) Explain the main features of proto-industrialisation.

Ans. The main features of proto industrialisation were

• It was controlled by merchants or guilds who had monopoly rights to

produce and trade goods.

• Generally family members were involved to the production process and

the production was carried out in countryside.

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1. Which of the following option best signifies the given image?
(a) Magic show by E.T Paull
(b) Dawn of the century dance performance
(c) Sale of railways, camera, machines, printing press
(d) None of the above

2. The given picture 'Two Magicians' has two characters,

explaining two different ideas. Who are the two characters?
(a) A lady and a Man
(b) Alladin and a worker
(c) A girl playing with cup and a boy with gun
(d) None of the above

3. What is depicted from the above picture?

(a) A Bakery Shop from 18th Century
(b) A Printing Press from 19th Century
(c) Spinning in the 18th Century
(d) Female workers in Construction industry

4. A Lancashire cotton mill, painted by C.E Turner is explaining

what?
(a) Beauty of cotton mill at Lancashire
(b) Problems of London during 19th century
(c) Harsh winters
(d) None of the above
5. Which of the following option best signifies the given image?
(a) Industrial landscapes
(b) Countryside view
(c) Rural-Urban divide
(d) None of the above

6. Which of the following option best signifies the given image?

(a) A cotton Mill
(b) A fitting shop at a railway work.
(c) Motor car workshop
(d) Gas industry

7. Which of the following best describes this image of factory of

1830 AD?
(a) A rail coach factory
(b) A mineral-based industry
(c) A spinning factory
(d) A handloom factory

8. Which of the following aspect best signifies this image of 1879

AD?
(a) People are working their house chores
(b) People are enjoying some festivity
(c)People are moving in search of work
(d) Children are playing with their parents
9. Choose the correct option in context of the image given?
(a) Workers in an iron work being idealised
(b) Hardship and pain of the workers for the cause of
the nation
(c) Neither (a) nor (b)
(d) Both (a) and (b)

10. The painting Houseless and Hungry, painted by Samuel Luke

fildes is signifying what?
(a)Homeless in London taking shelter under
bridge
(b) Homeless in London applying for tickets to
stay overnight in a workhouse
(c) Houseless and Hungry standing in queue for
food
(d) None of the above
10. The given image is describing which of the following option?
(a) Trade during pre-colonial period
(b) Traditional means of transportation
(c) English factory at Surat
(d) None of these

Que. Why the images contains the figures of Indian gods and
goddess, historic personality on products?
(a) To get their blessing
(b) Manufacture of the product have sentiment attached with them
(c) To approve the quality and create respect for the product
(d)None of the above
ANSWERS
1.-- d
2.-- b
3.-- c
4.-- a
5. a
6.-- b
7.-- c
8.-- c
9.-- d
10.-- b
11.-- c
12.-- c

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