Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

Pre-Colonial Dominance: Before machine industries, Indian silk and cotton textiles dominated international markets. Fine varieties from India were exported to Europe, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia through ports like Surat, Masulipatam, and Hoogly. Indian merchants, bankers, and supply merchants controlled this vast trade network.

Company Policies: After establishing political power in the 1760s, the East India Company eliminated competition by appointing gomasthas to supervise weavers and issuing loans (advances) that bound weavers exclusively to the Company. Weavers lost bargaining power, received miserably low prices, and faced harsh treatment. Many deserted villages, revolted, or abandoned weaving for agricultural labour.

Manchester's Impact: From the early 19th century, cheap machine-made Manchester goods flooded Indian markets. Textile exports fell from 33% of India's exports (1811–12) to just 3% by 1850–51. Weavers lost both export markets and local markets simultaneously.

Survival Strategies: Some weavers migrated to new villages; others shifted to producing coarse cloth that Manchester didn't supply. Indian spinning mills produced yarn used by surviving handloom weavers, helping some adapt.

Source: The Age of Indian Textiles / What Happened to Weavers? / Manchester Comes to India, Chapter 4

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• Examiners expect a chronological flow: pre-colonial → Company control → Manchester flooding → survival.
• Name specific mechanisms: gomastha, advance loans, import duties on British cloth, US Civil War cotton shortage.
• Use the data points (33% → 3% exports) — they demonstrate command of the text and earn marks.
• Four clear points map neatly onto the question's four demands; labelling them implicitly or explicitly helps the examiner award marks quickly.
• Avoid over-elaborating any single point at the expense of others — all four aspects carry equal weight here.