Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

Rise of Company Power and Control over Weavers:
After establishing political power in Bengal and Carnatic in the 1760s–70s, the East India Company gained monopoly over trade. It appointed gomasthas to supervise weavers directly, eliminated independent traders, and tied weavers through a system of advances (loans). Weavers who accepted loans had to sell exclusively to the Company at miserably low prices and could not bargain freely.

Collapse of Exports:
In 1811–12, piece-goods were 33% of India's exports; by 1850–51, only 3%. As British cotton industries expanded, the British government imposed tariffs on Indian cloth entering Britain, shutting out Indian textiles from European markets.

Arrival of Manchester Cloth — Two-Sided Attack:
Simultaneously, the East India Company was pressured by British industrialists to open Indian markets to British manufactures. Cheap, machine-made Manchester cloth flooded India. Indian weavers were thus hit from two directions at once:

1. Export market collapsed — tariff barriers blocked Indian cloth from Britain and other markets.
2. Home/local market shrank — cheap Manchester imports undercut Indian handloom cloth domestically.

By the 1850s, reports from most weaving regions described decline and desolation, with weavers migrating or turning to agricultural labour.

Source: Chapter 4, Section 3.2 (What Happened to Weavers?) and Section 3.3 (Manchester Comes to India)

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• Examiners expect a chronological chain: Company monopoly → export tariffs in Britain → Manchester imports flooding India → double squeeze on weavers.
• The phrase "two directions at once" in the question is a direct cue — always explicitly name both: collapse of export market AND shrinking of local/home market. Name both clearly for full marks.
• Mention the gomastha system briefly — it shows how even before Manchester arrived, weavers had already lost bargaining power.
• Use the data (33% → 3%) to show the scale of decline; examiners reward evidence from the text.
• Keep each point tight; this is 5 marks, so ~4–5 focused points suffice. Avoid padding.