Despite India's long tradition of cotton weaving, the Indian market itself began to be flooded with Mancheste…

Question

Despite India's long tradition of cotton weaving, the Indian market itself began to be flooded with Manchester cloth by the mid-nineteenth century. Explain the structural reasons — economic, technological, and political — that made this possible.

Accepted Answer

## Model Answer British industrialists pressured the government to impose import duties protecting Manchester goods, the East India Company opened Indian markets to British cloth, and machine production made imports far cheaper than handloom-woven Indian textiles. *Source: Manchester Comes to India, Chapter 4* ## Explanation Even though it's 1 mark, the question asks for **three** structural reasons (economic, technological, political). Fit all three briefly into one sentence or two short clauses. Examiners look for: (1) political — tariff/duty protection + Company's role, (2) economic — cheaper machine-made goods, (3) technological — machine/factory production lowering costs. Don't write lengthy explanations; just name/state each cause concisely.

Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question