Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

The jobber system in Indian mills was designed to solve industrialists' recruitment problem. Since the number of job-seekers always exceeded available vacancies, industrialists employed a jobber — usually an old, trusted worker — to find new recruits.

How the system helped workers:

• The jobber brought people from his own village, giving them direct access to mill employment.
• He helped new migrants settle in the city and provided money during personal crises.
• Workers without urban contacts depended entirely on him for a foothold in industrial employment.

How it made workers vulnerable:

• The jobber accumulated authority and power over workers.
• He began demanding money and gifts in exchange for getting someone hired or retaining their job (as Source E confirms — workers paid jobbers to secure jobs for their sons).
• Workers became dependent on, and exploited by, the very person who was meant to help them.

Thus the jobber was both a gateway and a gatekeeper — the same power that gave him the ability to employ workers allowed him to control and exploit them.

Source: Chapter 4, Section 4.2 – Where Did the Workers Come From?

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The examiner is looking for two sides of the same argument — not just a description of the jobber, but an analysis showing how the same role created both opportunity and vulnerability. Mention: (1) why the jobber was needed (recruitment problem, migrants without contacts), (2) what benefit workers got, (3) how power shifted and exploitation began. Using Source E (Vasant Parkar's quote about paying jobbers) adds evidence and fetches higher marks. Avoid writing a general essay about factory conditions — stay focused on the jobber's dual role.