Imagine that you have been asked to write an article for an encyclopaedia on Britain and the history of cotton. Write your piece using information from the entire chapter.

An encyclopaedia on Britain and the history of cotton:

(i) Before the establishment of British East India Company, England used to get manufacture Indian textile mainly cotton textiles indirectly from European traders and merchants. After the establishment of British East India Company, the same was done through direct import.

(ii) Calico Cloth Mill in Calicut and Muslin mill in Dacca as also shawls making cottage industries in Kashmir were brought to the condition of closure by passing prohibitory rules and alluring craftsmen/artisans in favour of East India Company and its underways.A number of inventors of cotton machines and plants including Hargreaves, Arkwright, Crompton etc., had assured to manufacturing of cotton textiles in England.

(iii) Gradually powerloom, cotton gin etc., machines were invented by Cart Wright and Eli-Whitney and thus, England began import of raw cotton from India to the tune of 250 million kilogram in 1840 C.E. Import however, was started since 1760 C.E. when about two million kilogram of cotton was bought from India and shipped to England.

(iv) Machine made textile was cheaper, attractive and well-finished hence, people of India began putting on imported clothes. This trend however, led to closure of handlooms and cottage industries in India thereby several lakh people had become unemployed and export of Indian cotton textile plumped from 33 per cent of 1811-12 C.E. to 3 per cent in 1850-51 C.E.

(v) Weavers in India began starving when American Civil War had cut-off cotton export to England by 1860. By the end of nineteenth century plants and machines of cotton manufacturing installed in India, the weavers in handloom sector and allied industries, suffered a lot.