Q1. [5] deep thorough-understanding
The decline of India's textile export trade in the nineteenth century was as much a result of political decisions as of technological change. Analyse this statement with reference to the roles played by the British government, the East India Company, and the rise of machine industry in England.
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 15:00 · grounding rag
Model Answer
The decline of India's textile exports in the nineteenth century resulted from both deliberate political actions and technological changes:
- British Government's Role: Under pressure from British industrialists, the government imposed high tariff barriers on Indian cotton imports into Britain. This shut Indian textiles out of the British market, causing cotton textile exports to fall from 30% of India's exports (1800) to below 3% (1870s).
- East India Company's Role: The Company used its political power to force Indian weavers into exploitative contracts through the gomastha system and advances, paying them miserably low prices. It also opened Indian markets to British manufactures, flooding them with cheap Manchester goods.
- Rise of Machine Industry: British mills produced cloth at far lower costs using machines. Indian weavers lost both their export markets and domestic markets simultaneously, as they could not compete with cheap, machine-made imports.
Thus, political decisions by the government and Company created conditions that combined with industrial technology to destroy India's textile trade.
Source: Chapter 4, Sections 3.2, 3.3, 2.6
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Explanation
- Examiners expect three distinct agents (British govt, EIC, machine industry) clearly addressed — structure your answer around them.
- Quote the data points (30% → 3%) to show source-based evidence; examiners reward specific figures.
- The key concept is that both political action (tariffs, forced markets) and technology worked together — don't treat it as either/or.
- Avoid lengthy introductions; begin directly with the analysis. Five crisp points with a one-line conclusion is ideal for 5 marks.