CBSE Class 10 · The Age of Industrialisation

Indian Weavers, Manchester Imports and Growth of Mills: Class 10 History

Updated 18 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Indian textiles once led the world market. As European companies took control of trade, the East India Company used gomasthas and advances to bind weavers; later cheap Manchester cloth swamped the Indian market. Mills began from 1854, but small-scale handloom production survived because of the fly shuttle, fine cloth with steady demand and weaves mills could not copy.

Notice how cloth fell from 33% to 3% of exports as cheap Manchester cloth flooded India, before Indian mills began in 1854.

Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.

Understand Indian Weavers, Manchester Imports and the Growth of Mills

Indian textiles before the machine age. Indian silk and cotton, especially the finer varieties, dominated the world textile market. Goods went overland with Armenian and Persian merchants to Afghanistan, eastern Persia and Central Asia, and by sea from Surat, Masulipatam and Hoogly. Indian supply merchants gave advances to weavers and carried cloth to the ports. By the 1750s this network broke down as European companies gained monopoly rights. Surat and Hoogly declined while Bombay and Calcutta grew. Trade through Surat, worth Rs 16 million in the last years of the seventeenth century, shrank to Rs 3 million by the 1740s.

Weavers under the Company. After winning power in Bengal and Carnatic, the East India Company wanted regular, cheap supplies. It removed the old traders and appointed a paid servant, the gomastha, to supervise weavers, collect supplies and check cloth. Advances bound weavers to sell only to the Company. Gomasthas were outsiders who often punished weavers harshly, and prices were very low. Weavers migrated, revolted, refused loans or turned to agricultural labour.

Manchester comes to India. Piece-goods made up 33 per cent of India's exports in 1811-12 but only 3 per cent by 1850-51. British cotton industrialists got import duties on textiles in Britain, so Manchester cloth faced no outside competition there, and persuaded the Company to sell British cloth in India. By 1850 cotton piece-goods were over 31 per cent of Indian imports and over 50 per cent by the 1870s. Weavers lost both export and home markets. In the 1860s the American Civil War cut off US cotton; Britain bought Indian raw cotton and its price shot up, so weavers could not afford good cotton. Finally Indian factories added to the competition.

Factories and entrepreneurs. The first cotton mill in Bombay came up in 1854; jute mills began in Bengal from 1855, followed by mills in Kanpur, Ahmedabad and Madras. Much money came from the China trade. Dwarkanath Tagore set up six joint-stock companies in the 1830s and 1840s; Parsis like Dinshaw Petit and Jamsetjee Nusserwanjee Tata built industrial empires. Colonial control limited Indians: they were barred from trading manufactured goods with Europe and pushed out of shipping. European Managing Agencies controlled much industry, investing mainly in tea, coffee, mining, indigo and jute for export, and European business owners formed chambers of commerce that kept Indians out.

Workers and jobbers. Factory workers grew from 584,000 in 1901 to over 2.4 million by 1946. They came mostly from nearby districts and moved between village and city. Since job seekers were more than jobs, a jobber, an old trusted worker, recruited people from his village, helped them settle and lend money in crises, and so gained authority, then demanded money and gifts.

Peculiarities of growth and handloom survival. Early Indian mills made coarse yarn, not cloth, to avoid competing with Manchester. The swadeshi movement, demands for tariff protection and a fall in yarn exports to China after 1906 pushed mills towards cloth. The First World War cut Manchester imports and boosted Indian mills; after the war Manchester never regained its old place. Yet in 1911 about 67 per cent of large industries were in Bengal and Bombay, and only 5 per cent of industrial workers were in registered factories. Handloom output almost trebled between 1900 and 1940. The fly shuttle helped (over 35 per cent of handlooms used it by 1941). Fine cloth such as Banarasi or Baluchari saris was bought by the well-to-do, so demand stayed steady even in famines, while coarse cloth demand swung wildly; mills could not copy special weaves.

Advertising. Manchester labels and calendars used gods, goddesses and royal figures to win trust. Calendars reached even those who could not read. Indian makers carried the swadeshi message in their advertisements.

Indian Weavers, Manchester Imports and the Growth of Mills: key facts

Gomastha: Paid servant of the Company
supervised weavers
collected supplies
examined cloth quality; An outsider to the village, unlike the old supply merchants.
Key figures: Surat: Rs 16 million to Rs 3 million
piece-goods 33 per cent of exports (1811-12) to 3 per cent (1850-51)
factory workers 584,000 (1901) to over 2.4 million (1946); Quote exactly as NCERT.
Handloom survival: Fly shuttle
fine cloth with steady demand
special weaves mills could not copy; FLY memory line.

How to answer Indian Weavers, Manchester Imports and the Growth of Mills questions

Questions ask for causes (decline of weavers), roles (gomastha, jobber), or reasons for survival of handlooms. School-level, so build a cause, a fact and a result.

1For weavers' decline, order the blows: Company control, Manchester imports, costly raw cotton, Indian mills.
2For roles, define the person, then state what he did and the effect on workers.
3For percentages, state both years: 33 per cent in 1811-12 and 3 per cent in 1850-51.
4For handloom survival, give three reasons with the cloth type.
5Keep colonial controls on Indian business in mind for any 'entrepreneurs' question.

Indian Weavers, Manchester Imports and the Growth of Mills in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Gomastha system and loss of bargaining power

Suppose a group of potters in a village borrows money from one large trader on the condition that they sell only to his agent at a price he fixes.

Compare this with the weavers' position under the Company and say what choices the potters may consider.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Identify the loss of the freedom to bargain with many buyers.
Link the loan to the advances that bound weavers to the Company.
Recall how weavers reacted: migrate, revolt, refuse loans, take up farm labour.

Answer: Like Company weavers, the potters have lost the freedom to sell to the best buyer. The loan ties them to one agent who can keep the price low, as gomasthas did. They might refuse the loan, move away or take up other work, as weavers did.

Memory hook: A tied loan is a lost bargain.

Jobbers in Indian mills

Suppose a new factory is on the edge of a town. A senior worker brings recruits from his village and begins to ask them for gifts.

Name his role in the chapter and explain why his power grew.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Identify the jobber.
More job seekers than jobs, so entry depended on him.
He helped with jobs, settling and loans, so workers depended on him.

Answer: He is like a jobber. Because there were more job seekers than jobs, workers needed him to enter the factory. He helped them settle and lent money in crises, so he gained authority and began demanding money and gifts.

Memory hook: Whoever holds the gate holds the workers.

Tricks to remember Indian Weavers, Manchester Imports and the Growth of Mills

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

GAP
Gomastha appointed, Advances given, Prevented from selling elsewhere.
Use it when: How the Company controlled weavers.
S and H sank, B and C climbed
Surat and Hoogly declined; Bombay and Calcutta grew.
Use it when: Shift of ports.
FLY
Fly shuttle, Luxury fine cloth, Your special weaves mills could not copy.
Use it when: Why handloom survived.

Indian Weavers, Manchester Imports and the Growth of Mills: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Who was the gomastha? · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

A gomastha was:
(a) an Indian supply merchant
(b) a paid servant of the Company who supervised weavers
(c) a mill owner in Bombay
(d) a recruiter of mill workers

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Supply merchants were the older network; mill recruiters were jobbers.
The gomastha was the Company's paid servant who supervised weavers (1 mark).

Answer: (b) a paid servant of the Company who supervised weavers

Example 2: Fall in exports: calculation (2 marks) · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level

Piece-goods were 33 per cent of India's exports in 1811-12 and 3 per cent in 1850-51. By how many percentage points did their share fall, and what does this show? (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Fall = 33 - 3 = 30 percentage points (1 mark).
The share of cotton piece-goods in exports collapsed because of Manchester competition (1 mark).

Answer: The share fell by 33 - 3 = 30 percentage points, showing how Manchester competition destroyed India's textile exports.

Example 3: Why weavers declined (5 marks) · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Explain four successive developments that brought distress to Indian weavers between the mid-eighteenth and the late nineteenth century. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

European companies gained monopoly rights and the old trade network broke down; Surat and Hoogly declined (1 mark).
The Company appointed gomasthas, gave advances and prevented weavers from selling elsewhere; prices were very low (1 mark).
Manchester imports and import duties in Britain: export share fell from 33 to 3 per cent and imports rose past 50 per cent by the 1870s (1 mark).
American Civil War raised the price of Indian raw cotton (1 mark).
Indian factories added to the competition (1 mark).

Answer: First, European companies gained monopoly rights, the old network collapsed and Surat and Hoogly declined. Second, the Company used gomasthas and advances to bind weavers, who were paid very low prices. Third, Manchester cloth took over: piece-goods fell from 33 per cent of exports in 1811-12 to 3 per cent in 1850-51, while cotton piece-goods exceeded 50 per cent of imports by the 1870s. Fourth, the American Civil War pushed up the price of raw cotton, and later Indian factories also competed.

Example 4: Case: surviving handloom · 4 marks · Case-basedHarder board level

Read and answer.

Handloom output in India almost trebled between 1900 and 1940. By 1941 over 35 per cent of handlooms were fitted with a fly shuttle. Fine cloth such as Banarasi saris sold steadily even in famines, while the demand for coarse cloth swung widely.

(i) What is a fly shuttle? (1)
(ii) Why did the demand for coarse cloth fall in bad harvests? (1)
(iii) Why could mills not easily replace special weaves? (2)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

(i) A mechanical device moved by ropes and pulleys that places the weft into the warp (1 mark).
(ii) Coarse cloth was bought by the poor, who had no cash in famines (1 mark).
(iii) Fine woven-border or special-design saris were bought by the well-to-do with steady demand, and mills could not copy their special weaves (2 marks).

Answer: (i) A mechanical weaving device that places the weft into the warp. (ii) The poor bought coarse cloth and lost their cash in bad harvests and famines. (iii) Special weaves, such as Banarasi or Baluchari saris, could not be copied by mills and were bought by well-to-do people whose demand stayed steady.

Example 5: Why Indian mills grew slowly (4 marks) · 4 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

'Indian mills grew under colonial constraints.' Support with four points. (4 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Indians were barred from trading manufactured goods with Europe and pushed out of shipping (1 mark).
European Managing Agencies controlled much industry, investing mainly in tea, coffee, mining, indigo and jute for export (1 mark).
European chambers of commerce kept Indians out (1 mark).
Early mills made coarse yarn to avoid competing with Manchester (1 mark).

Answer: Indians were barred from trading manufactured goods with Europe and pushed out of shipping. European Managing Agencies controlled much industry and invested mainly in export goods such as tea, coffee, mining, indigo and jute. European chambers of commerce excluded Indian businessmen. Early Indian mills made coarse yarn instead of cloth to avoid competing with Manchester.

Where students lose marks in Indian Weavers, Manchester Imports and the Growth of Mills

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Mixing up gomastha and jobber
Both are middlemen.
Wrong working
A gomastha recruited mill workers.
Right working
A gomastha supervised weavers for the Company; a jobber recruited mill workers.
Do this: Gomastha = weavers; jobber = mills.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Writing only the cause without the figure
Skipping data.
Wrong working
Indian exports of cloth fell.
Right working
Piece-goods fell from 33 per cent of exports in 1811-12 to 3 per cent in 1850-51.
Do this: Always give both years.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Saying handloom disappeared
Assuming mills replaced all weaving.
Wrong working
Mills destroyed handloom weaving by 1900.
Right working
Handloom output almost trebled between 1900 and 1940.
Do this: Remember the survival story.
Usually costs: 1 to 2 marks.

Exam tips

The chapter is school-assessed in 2026-27: expect short answers, sources and a project.
Give dates and figures in pairs, as in 33 per cent to 3 per cent.
Use FLY and GAP to organise answers.

Practice questions on Indian Weavers, Manchester Imports and the Growth of Mills

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
Bengal's jute mills began in 1855. The Bombay cotton mill that opened before them came up in which year?
(a) 1830
(b) 1854
(c) 1901
(d) 1912
Hint
Jute mills in Bengal began a year later.
Answer
(b) 1854
Q2 · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level
State the reason owners of the first Indian mills chose coarse thread over woven cloth, and name one buyer of that thread. (2 marks)
Hint
Avoiding competition.
Answer
Yarn was not an important British import, so making coarse yarn avoided competing with Manchester cloth; the yarn went to Indian handloom weavers or was exported to China.
Q3 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder board level
Trade through Surat fell from Rs 16 million to Rs 3 million. By what fraction (to two decimals) of its original value did it fall? (2 marks)
Hint
Fall divided by original.
Answer
Fall = 16 - 3 = Rs 13 million. 13 / 16 = 0.8125, about 0.81, so trade fell by roughly four-fifths.
Q4 · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level
Factory workers rose from 584,000 in 1901 to over 2.4 million by 1946. Show that the number grew by more than four times, and explain why factory work still formed a small part of industrial work. (5 marks)
Hint
2.4 million divided by 584,000; use 1911 figures.
Answer
2,400,000 / 584,000 = 4.11, so more than four times. Yet only 5 per cent of industrial workers in 1911 worked in registered factories, since small-scale units, workshops and household production dominated; large industries were also concentrated, about 67 per cent in Bengal and Bombay.
Q5 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHOTS / competency
Assertion (A): Handloom production in India grew in the early twentieth century despite mill competition.
Reason (R): Fine cloth had steady demand and mills could not copy special weaves.
(a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true, but R is false.
(d) A is false, but R is true.
Hint
Is R one reason A happened?
Answer
(a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.Name two old ports that declined.Show answer
Surat and Hoogly.
2.What did the jobber demand?Show answer
Money and gifts for getting jobs.
3.Which war raised the price of Indian raw cotton?Show answer
The American Civil War.
4.In which year did Tata set up the first iron and steel works in India?Show answer
1912, at Jamshedpur.

Indian Weavers, Manchester Imports and the Growth of Mills: frequently asked questions

Why did Indian weavers suffer under the Company?

Gomasthas supervised them, advances bound them to the Company, and prices were very low.

How did handloom weaving survive?

Through the fly shuttle, steady demand for fine cloth and special weaves that mills could not copy.

What was the role of a jobber?

He recruited workers from his village into mills and gained power over their lives.