MP Board · Class 10 · Social Science · History: The Age of IndustrialisationWhy did the export of Indian textiles decline by the beginning of the 19th century?

The decline of Indian textile exports was primarily due to the growth of the cotton industry in Britain. British manufacturers pressured the government to impose heavy import duties on Indian cloth so they could sell Manchester-made goods without competition. Simultaneously, the East India Company began flooding the Indian market with cheap, machine-made British textiles. Indian weavers could not compete with the low prices of imported goods, and they also faced a shortage of good quality raw cotton, which was being exported to Britain to feed its mills.