Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

Indian cotton weavers between the 1850s and 1860s faced two severe problems:

1. Collapse of export market and flooding of local market: Their export market collapsed as British cotton goods flooded Indian markets. Produced by machines at lower costs, Manchester imports were so cheap that weavers could not compete. The local market shrank, leaving weavers with almost no buyers for their cloth.

2. Shortage of raw cotton: By the 1860s, when the American Civil War cut off cotton supplies to Britain, raw cotton exports from India increased sharply. This caused prices of raw cotton to shoot up. Weavers were starved of supplies and forced to buy raw cotton at exorbitant prices, making weaving unviable.

Source: Chapter 4, Section 3.3 — Manchester Comes to India

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• This is a 3-mark question, so two clear points with brief explanation each is ideal.
• Use the exact language from the textbook: "export market collapsed," "local market shrank," "glutted with Manchester imports," "raw cotton at exorbitant prices" — these phrases score well.
• Both problems must be mentioned; missing either will cost marks.
• The examiner looks for: (1) identification of each problem, (2) a cause-effect link for each.