Why could not the merchants expand production within towns in Britain?

• Because towns, the police was very corrupt.

• Because in towns, urban crafts and trade guilds were very powerful.

• Because in towns, the Government rules and regulations were very strict.

• Because their the electricity was available only for a short duration.

The port of Surat declined by the end of the eighteenth century.

The East India Company appointed gomasthas to supervise weavers in India

Write true or false against each statement:

Explain what is meant by proto-industrialisation.

Why did some industrialists in nineteenth century Europe prefer hand labour over machines?

How did the East India Company procure regular supplies of cotton and silk textiles from Indian weavers?

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.

Why did industrial production in India increase during the First World War?

Select any one industry in your region and find out its history. How has the technology changed? Where do the workers come from? How are the products advertised and marketed? Try and talk to the employers and some workers to get their views about the industry's history.

Which was the first modern industrial nation of the world?