'Despite stiff competition frommachine - made thread, the Indian handloom production not only survived, but also saw a steady growth in the 20th century’. Explain reasons in favour of your answer.
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How did handloom cloth production expand steadily in the 20th century?Explain.
Ans. While cheap machine-made thread wiped out the spinning industry in the 19th century, the Indian weavers survived and expanded steadily in the 20th century.
It was due to following reasons
(i) Indian weavers adopted new technology which helped them to increase production without raising costs.
(ii) Among the weavers, some produced coarser cloth while others wove finer varieties. The finer varieties were bought by the rich.
(iii) Weavers who catered to the rich always had a demand for their goods, e.g. the sale of Banarasi and Baluchari saris was not affected by famines or droughts. Mills could not imitate specialised weaves like saris with woven borders, famous lungis and handkerchiefs of Madras, etc. …