How was clothing instrumental in triggering of the Swadeshi Movement in Bengal?" Explain.
Indian textiles were in great demand all over the world. India accounted for one-fourth of the world’s manufactured goods in the seventeenth century.
There were million weavers in Bengal alone.
The Industrial Revolution led to the demand for raw materials such as cotton and indigo in Britain. This changed India’s status in the world economy;
Cheap British manufacture easily replaced coarser Indian one. Large number of Indian weavers and spinners were left without work. Important textile centres such as Mursidabad, Machilipatnam and Surat declined as demand fell.
Lord Curzon decision to partition Bengal to , control the growing opposition to British rule- The Swadeshi Movement developed in reaction to thjs measure.
Large number of people began boycotting British or mill - made cloth and adopting Khadi even though it was coarser, more expensive and difficult to obtain. The use of Khadi had became the patriotic duty. Rough home spun was glorified in many patriotic songs and poems. Women threw away their silks and glass bangles and started to, wear simple shell bangles.
Thus, it can be concluded that clothing was intrumental in triggering of swadeshi movement in Bengal.