AI-generated practice question — model-generated for extra practice, not a previous-year CBSE board question.
(B) Cotton
Cotton was the first symbol of the new industrial era in Britain. Its production boomed in the late eighteenth century, and it was the leading sector in the first phase of industrialisation up to the 1840s.
Source: Chapter 4, Section 1.1 – The Coming Up of the Factory
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The passage explicitly states: "The first symbol of the new era was cotton." This is a direct fact from the textbook. Iron and steel became dominant only after the 1840s, so (A) is wrong. Jute and Wool are never described as the "first symbol." For MCQs like this, the exact textbook phrase is the safest anchor — memorise it directly.