NCERT · Class 10 · Social Science · History: The Age of IndustrialisationWho were the Gomasthas and why were there frequent clashes between them and the weavers?

The East India Company appointed paid servants called Gomasthas to supervise weavers, collect supplies, and examine the quality of cloth. This was done to eliminate existing traders and brokers and establish direct control over the weaver. Before the Gomasthas, the supply merchants often lived within the weaving villages and had a close relationship with the weavers, helping them in times of crisis. However, the Gomasthas were outsiders with no long-term social link with the village. They acted arrogantly, marched into villages with sepoys and peons, and punished weavers for delays in supply, often beating or flogging them. The weavers lost the space to bargain for prices or sell to different buyers because they had accepted advances (loans) from the Company. This system of advances tied the weavers to the Company and forced them to produce at low prices. The lack of social connection and the oppressive behavior of the Gomasthas led to frequent clashes, desertion of villages, and migration of weavers to other districts.