MP Board · Class 10 · Social Science · History: The Age of IndustrialisationWho were the Gomasthas and why were they appointed?

Gomasthas were paid servants appointed by the British East India Company to establish direct control over the weavers in India. Their primary duties included supervising the weavers, collecting supplies of woven cloth, and examining the quality of the fabric produced. They were appointed to eliminate the existing system of brokers and middle-men in the textile trade, ensuring that the weavers worked exclusively for the Company and did not sell their produce to other buyers or European competitors.