The Age of Industrialisation

• 1. Proto-Industrialisation

  • Definition: Phase of industrialisation before the setup of modern factories.
  • Key Features:
    • Large-scale production for international markets.
    • Controlled by town-based merchants.
    • Production carried out by peasant families in countryside (rural households).
    • Decentralised system of production.
  • Role of Guilds: Associations of producers in towns that restricted entry of new merchants and controlled prices.

• 2. The Coming Up of the Factory

  • Early Phase: First factories established in England in the 1730s.
  • Cotton Industry: Leading sector in the first phase of industrialisation.
  • Richard Arkwright: Created the Cotton Mill, bringing all processes under one roof and management.

• 3. The Pace of Industrial Change

  • Dominant Sectors: Cotton (till 1840s) followed by Iron and Steel (driven by railway expansion).
  • Slow Displacement: Traditional industries could not be easily displaced by new technology; less than 20% of workforce was in advanced sectors.
  • Technology Adoption: Slow and cautious due to high cost of machines and expensive repairs.
  • Steam Engine: Patented by James Watt (1781); manufactured by Matthew Boulton; adopted very slowly by industrialists.

• 4. Hand Labour and Steam Power

  • Abundance of Labour: High availability of cheap human labour in Victorian Britain (no incentive to buy expensive machines).
  • Preference for Hand Labour:
    • Seasonal demand for labour in industries like breweries, gasworks, and printing.
    • Demand for customized designs and intricate patterns which machines could not produce.
  • Life of the Workers:
    • Large-scale migration to cities led to extreme competition for jobs.
    • Seasonality of work caused long periods of unemployment.
    • Introduction of Spinning Jenny (by James Hargreaves) led to attacks on machines by women workers fearing job loss.

• 5. Industrialisation in the Colonies (India)

  • Pre-Colonial Era:
    • India dominated the international textile market with fine silk and cotton.
    • Vibrant trade networks operated through ports like Surat, Hoogly, and Masulipatam.
  • Impact of East India Company (EIC):
    • Eliminated existing traders and brokers to establish direct control.
    • Appointed Gomasthas (paid servants to supervise weavers, collect supplies, and examine quality).
    • Introduced System of Advances (loans given to weavers, binding them to the EIC).
    • Led to clashes between weavers and Gomasthas, causing desertion of villages.
  • Manchester Comes to India:
    • British cotton goods imported to India; high tariffs imposed on Indian exports.
    • Dual blow to Indian weavers: shrunk export market and flooded local market with cheap machine-made British goods.
    • Raw Cotton Crisis: US Civil War cut off cotton supply to Britain; Britain bought Indian cotton, raising prices for local weavers.

• 6. Factories Come Up in India

  • First Mills:
    • Cotton Mill: Bombay (1854).
    • Jute Mill: Bengal (1855).
    • Woollen Mill: Elgin Mill, Kanpur (1860s).
  • Early Entrepreneurs:
    • Accumulated capital through trade with China (opium, tea) and England.
    • Key figures: Dwarkanath Tagore, Dinshaw Petit, J.N. Tata, Seth Hukumchand.
  • Industrial Workers:
    • Migrated from nearby agricultural districts (e.g., Ratnagiri to Bombay mills).
    • Jobber: Employed by industrialists to recruit new workers; became powerful and demanded bribes.

• 7. Peculiarities of Industrial Growth

  • European Managing Agencies: Controlled large sectors (tea, coffee, mining) and dominated industrial capital.
  • Indian Strategy: Avoided direct competition with British goods; produced coarse cotton yarn (exported to China).
  • Swadeshi Movement: Shifted production from yarn to cloth; boycott of foreign goods boosted Indian industries.
  • First World War Impact:
    • British factories diverted to war production.
    • Imports to India declined; Indian factories boomed to supply war needs (jute bags, uniforms, tents).
    • Post-war: Britain could never recapture its old position in the Indian market.

• 8. Market for Goods

  • Advertising: Used to create new consumers and make products look desirable.
  • Methods of Promotion:
    • Labels: "Made in Manchester" labels used as a mark of quality.
    • Images of Gods/Goddesses: Krishna, Saraswati used to make foreign goods familiar to Indian buyers.
    • Calendars: Distributed widely to reach even illiterate people.
    • Nationalist Messages: "If you care for the nation, buy Indian products."