Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

India's share of cotton textile exports in world trade declined sharply — from about 30% around 1800 to 15% by 1815, and further to below 3% by the 1870s. This decline happened because Britain imposed tariff barriers on Indian textiles, and British manufacturers flooded both British and international markets with cheap machine-made cloth.

As textile exports fell, raw materials replaced them as India's major export. Raw cotton exports rose from 5% to 35% of India's total exports between 1812 and 1871. Indigo (used for dyeing) and opium (shipped to China) were other important exports, with opium becoming India's single largest export for a period.

Source: Chapter 3, Section 2.6 – Indian Trade, Colonialism and the Global System

---

• The examiner wants two parts: (1) the decline in textile export share with figures, and (2) what replaced textiles.
• Always quote the statistics (30% → 15% → below 3%; raw cotton 5% → 35%) — these are direct from the textbook and fetch marks.
• Mention all three replacement exports: raw cotton, indigo, opium. Raw cotton is most important.
• Do not confuse exports from India with imports into India — a common student error.