Explain any three factors responsible for the decline of the cotton textile industry in India in the mid 19th century

Explain any three factors responsible for the decline of the cotton textile industry in India in the mid 19th century.

AS cotton industries developed in England, industrial groups began to pressurise the Government to impose import duties on cotton textiles so that Manchester goods could sell in Britain without facing any competition from outside.

  1. At the same time industries persuaded the East India Company to sell British manufactuers in Indian market as well. Exports of British cotton goods increased dramatically in the early 19th century.
  2. The export market for Indian cotton weavers collapsed and the local market shrank, being glutted with Manchester imports.
  3. The imported cotton goods were cheap and our weavers could not compete with them.
  4. When the American Civil War broke out the cotton supplies to Britain from US were cut off. As raw cotton export from India increased, the prices of raw cotton shot up. Weavers in India were starved of supplies and forced to buy raw cotton at exorbitant prices.