MP Board · Class 10 · Social Science · History: The Age of IndustrialisationExplain the methods used by the East India Company to assert its monopoly over the Indian textile trade and its impact on the weavers.

Before establishing political power, the East India Company found it difficult to ensure a regular supply of goods for export. Once they gained political control, they developed a system of management and control to eliminate competition and ensure regular supplies.

Methods used by the Company:

• Elimination of Competitors: The Company tried to eliminate existing traders and brokers connected with the cloth trade to establish direct control over the weavers. This was done to ensure that the Company did not have to compete with French, Dutch, or Portuguese traders.
• Appointment of Gomasthas: They appointed paid servants called 'Gomasthas' to supervise weavers, collect supplies, and examine the quality of cloth. This removed the direct link between weavers and local merchants.
• System of Advances (Loans): To prevent weavers from selling to other buyers, the Company introduced the system of advances. Once an order was placed, weavers were given loans to purchase raw materials. Those who took loans had to hand over the cloth they produced to the Gomastha and could not take it to any other trader.

Impact on Weavers:

• Loss of Bargaining Power: As weavers became tied to the Company through loans, they lost the space to bargain for better prices. The prices they received from the Company were miserably low.
• Cycle of Debt: Many weavers had small plots of land which they cultivated to supplement their income. Under the new system, they had to devote all their time to weaving, making them entirely dependent on the Company and trapped in a cycle of debt.
• Clashes with Gomasthas: Unlike the old supply merchants who lived in the village and looked after the weavers' needs, Gomasthas were outsiders. They acted arrogantly, marched into villages with sepoys, and punished weavers for delays in supply by beating or flogging them. Consequently, many weavers deserted villages and migrated.