AI-generated practice question — model-generated for extra practice, not a previous-year CBSE board question.
Up to the 1840s, the cotton industry led Britain's industrialisation, as it was the fastest-growing sector in the first phase.
After the 1840s, the iron and steel industry took over the leading role.
The key development that drove this rise was the expansion of railways — in England from the 1840s and in the colonies from the 1860s. Railway construction created massive demand for iron and steel. By 1873, Britain exported iron and steel worth £77 million, double the value of its cotton exports.
Source: Chapter 4, Section 1.2 – The Pace of Industrial Change
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The examiner is testing whether students can identify both industries in sequence and link the rise of iron and steel to a specific cause (railway expansion). All three elements — cotton, iron & steel, railways — must be mentioned to score full marks. The export figures (£77 million) are a useful supporting detail but not compulsory. Avoid vague answers like "technology improved" — name railways specifically.