Chapter 4 - The Age of Industrialisation
In CBSE Year 10 Chapter 4, History students explore the history of England, the first industrial power, and India, where patterns of industrial change were driven by colonial rule. This chapter begins by describing a pre-industrial revolution scenario and how it has changed over time in terms of workforce, factory establishment, and more. Other topics covered in this chapter include colonial industrialization, industrial growth, and commodity markets, workers' lives, etc. In this article, we have collected historical records from CBSE Class 10 Chapter 4 - The Industrial Age. These notes cover all the basic concepts discussed in the chapter.
Pre-Industrial Revolution
Primitive Industrialization refers to the stage that existed before the advent of factories in Britain and Europe. There was large-scale industrial production for the international market without a factory basis. In the 17th and 18th centuries, European merchants migrated to the countryside, supplying peasants and artisans with money and asking them to produce products for the international market. Merchants were prevented from expanding their production in the city, as the rulers granted various guilds exclusive rights to produce and sell certain products. In the countryside, poor peasants and artisans willingly agreed to remain in the countryside and continue working on their small plots of land. Thus, early industrial systems were part of merchant-controlled commercial exchange networks.
What a factory looks like?
Britain's first factories were established in the 1730s, but the number of factories did not increase until the end of the 18th century. Cotton was the first symbol of the new era, and its production flourished in the late 19th century. Richard Arkwright created a spinning mill where expensive machinery was installed and all processes were combined and managed under one roof.
The pace of industrial change
First, the most dynamic industries in the UK were cotton and metallurgy. Cotton was the leading sector in the first phase of industrialization until the 1840s, followed by steel and steel. Second, it was difficult for new industries to replace traditional industries. Third, the pace of change in “traditional” industries was not driven by steam-powered cotton or steel industries, but neither was it completely static. Fourth, technological change is slow.
James Watt improved the Newcomen steam engine and patented the new engine in 1781.
Manual Labor and Steam Power
There was no shortage of labor in Victorian England. Industrialists had no problems with labor shortages or high wage costs. Instead of machines, industrialists needed large investments. Demand for labor has been seasonal in many industries. In all industries where production fluctuated with the seasons, industrialists hired workers seasonally, usually in favor of manual labor.
Workers' Lives
Workers' lives have been affected by the abundance of labor in the market. To get a job, workers must have an existing network of friendships and kinship in the factory. Until the middle of the 19th century, it was difficult for workers to find work. Wages increased in the early 19th century. Fears of unemployment made workers hostile to the introduction of new technologies. Jenny spinning was introduced to the wool industry. Building activity in the city after the 1840s opened up more employment opportunities. Roads were widened, new railway stations were built, railroad tracks were widened, tunnels were dug, drains and sewers were laid, rivers were dammed.
Colonial Industrialization
{India- The Age of Textiles}
In India, silk and cotton products dominated the international textile market until the Engineering Age. This network of export trade involved various Indian merchants and bankers who financed production, transported goods, and supplied exporters. Controlled by Indian traders by the 1750s, the network was in disrepair. European corporations came to power, first by securing various concessions from local courts, and then by securing monopolies on trade. The transition from old to new ports was an indicator of the growth of colonial power. European companies controlled trade through the new ports and they were transported by European ships. Many old trading companies collapsed and those who wished to survive had to work in the networks set up by European trading companies.
What happened to the weavers?
The consolidation of the East India Company after the 1760s did not initially lead to a decline in textile exports from India. Prior to the establishment of political power in Bengal and Carnatic in the 1760s and 1770s, it was difficult for the East India Company to secure regular supplies of exports. After the East India Company established political power, it developed a command-and-control system that eliminated competition, controlled costs, and ensured regular supplies of cotton and silk products. It was installed by following a series of steps.
By eliminating the traditional merchants and middlemen involved in the textile trade and establishing more direct control over weavers. Company workers are not allowed to do business with other customers. Weavers who received loans had to hand over the fabric they produced to Gomaster. Weaving required the labor of the whole family, with children and women participating in different stages of the process. Previously, the supply merchants had very close relations with the weavers, but the new gomasters were outsiders and had no social ties to the village.
In many places in the Carnatics and Bengal, weavers set up looms in other villages where they had relatives. Elsewhere, weavers, along with rural merchants, revolted against companies and officials. Over time, many weavers began refusing loans, closing their workshops and turning to agricultural work. At the turn of the 19th century, cotton weavers faced a new problem.
Manchester comes to India
Henry Patullo said in 1772 that the demand for Indian textiles would never decrease because no other country produced goods of the same quality. Unfortunately, at the beginning of the 19th century, India's textile exports declined. Exports of British cotton goods increased dramatically in the early 19th century. At the end of the 18th century, imports of cotton products into India were restricted. In India, cotton growers faced two problems.
In the 1860s weavers faced a new problem. They couldn't get enough good quality cotton. Exports of raw cotton from India also increased, leading to higher prices. By the end of the 19th century, other artisans faced another problem.
Mill Opening
The first cotton mill opened in Bombay in 1854 and started operating two years later. By 1862, four more mills had been opened, and at about the same time jute mills appeared in Bengal. The first jute mill was established in 1855 and again seven years later in 1862. In the 1860s, an Elgin mill opened in Kanpur in northern India, and a year later the first cotton mill opened in Ahmedabad. By 1874, Madras' first spinning and weaving mills were in operation.
Early Entrepreneur
The history of the trade began in the late 18th century when the British in India began exporting opium to China and importing tea from China to England. Some of the businessmen involved in these deals had a vision for the development of industrial enterprises in India. In Bengal, Dwarkanath Tagore made a lot of money trading with China. In Bombay, Parsis like Dinshaw Petit and Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata built huge industrial empires in India. Seth Hucumchand, a Marwari businessman, opened India's first jute mill in Calcutta in 1917. Opportunities for industrial investment opened up, and many opened factories.
However, because of colonial rule, the Indians were forbidden from trading industrial products with Europe, and they had to export mainly raw materials and food crops (cotton, opium, wheat, indigo) for Britain's needs. The three largest governing bodies in Europe are Bird Heiglers & Co., Andrew Yule and Jardine Skinner & Co., which raised capital, created and managed joint stock companies.
Where do the workers come from?
As the factory expanded, the demand for workers increased. Most of the workers came from nearby areas in search of work. In 1911, while more than 50% of Bombay's cotton workers were from the nearby Ratnagiri region, the Kanpur mills received most of their textile workers from Kanpur district towns. When news of 4,444,444 jobs spread, workers traveled long distances to find jobs in factories.
It was difficult to get a job even after the demand for workers increased.
Characteristics of industrial growth
European governing bodies were interested in certain types of products, such as tea and coffee. They set up tea and coffee plantations and invested in indigo and jute extraction. These products are for export use only. At the end of the 19th century, Indian businessmen started creating companies. The yarn produced in Indian spinning mills was used by Indian weavers or exported to China. The industrialization model has been affected by many changes. When the Swadeshi movement gained support, nationalists boycotted foreign clothing. From 1906, Indian yarn exports to China declined as output from Chinese and Japanese mills flooded the Chinese market. Industrial growth was slow until after World War I. The war completely changed the whole scenario and Indian factories took advantage of the situation. There was a vast war market: jute sacks, military cloth, tents, leather boots, saddles for horses and mules, and many other goods. Industrial production increased over the years and after the war Manchester was unable to regain its former position in the Indian market.
Small Business Predominance
Small business continued to dominate the rest of the country. Only a small fraction of the total industry labor force worked in registered factories. The rest worked in small workshops and utility blocks. Handicraft production expanded in the 20th century. The 20th century saw the expansion of handwoven textile production. This was due to technological changes as they began to introduce new technologies that helped improve production without significantly increasing costs.
Some groups of weavers were better positioned than others to survive competition from the mills. Some weavers produced coarse cloth, while others weaved finer cloth. Weavers and other artisans who continued to expand production during the 20th century did not necessarily do well. They worked long hours, including all women and children. But they weren't just remnants of the factory era. Their lives and work were an integral part of the industrialization process.
Product Marketplace
When a new product is created, advertising helps people make the product seem desirable and necessary. They tried to shape people's consciousness and create new needs. Today we are surrounded by advertisements in newspapers, magazines, on billboards, on street walls, and on television screens. Since the beginning of the industrial age, advertisements have played a role in expanding product sales channels and forming a new consumption culture.
Manchester Industrialists label piles of cloth to indicate quality. Customers who see "MADE IN MANCHESTER" in bold on the label will feel confident purchasing the fabric. Some of the labels are made from images and are beautifully crafted.
Images of Indian gods and goddesses appeared on these labels. Calendar printing was started by manufacturers to popularize their products. In this calendar, statues of gods were used to market new products. These advertisements later became a vehicle for disseminating Swadeshi's nationalist message.
Conclusion
Industry means major technological change, growth of factories and creation of new industrial workforce. Manual techniques and small-scale production remained an important part of the industrial environment.
Frequently asked Questions on CBSE Class 10
What is ‘Industrialisation’?
Industrialization is the process by which an economy is transformed from a primarily agricultural one to one based on the manufacturing of goods.
What is the meaning ‘Market goods’?
Market goods and services are all goods and services produced by market activity branches, all imported goods and services with the exception of those that are directly purchased externally by the government.
What are the uses of ‘Industrial change’?
- 1. Increased job opportunities
- 2. Inspired innovation
- 3. Increased production levels
- 4. Raising the standard of living
- 5. Removal of poverty
