The Age of Industrialisation Class 10 Notes: The Age of Industrialisation refers to the period when manufacturing shifted from hand production to machine production. It brought significant economic and social changes. These CBSE Class 10 Social Science History Notes Chapter 4 explore this era in both Europe and India, highlighting its characteristics, challenges, and lasting effects. Understanding this topic is vital for grasping modern economic history.
Class 10 History Chapter 4 Notes
The Age of Industrialisation Class 10 Notes provide a clear overview of the transition from pre-industrial society to industrial growth, covering factories, labour, and technological changes. These notes help students grasp key concepts for exams and quick revision.
Before Industrial Revolution: Proto-Industrialisation
Proto-industrialisation was a phase of large-scale industrial production. It served an international market but did not rely on factories. Merchants in 17th and 18th-century Europe moved to the countryside. They supplied money to peasants and artisans.
These rural workers produced goods for the merchants. Demand for goods grew with expanding world trade and new colonies. Town guilds restricted production expansion within cities. Thus, a network connected town merchants with rural producers. London became a finishing center for cloth before export.
Coming Up of Factory
The earliest factories appeared in England by the 1730s. Cotton became the first symbol of this new era. Cotton production boomed in the late 18th century. Raw cotton imports soared from 2.5 million pounds in 1760 to 22 million pounds by 1787. Inventions like Richard Arkwright’s cotton mill increased production efficiency.
Pace of Industrial Change
Industrialisation was not always rapid or widespread. Cotton and metals were Britain's most dynamic industries. Cotton led until the 1840s; iron and steel then took over, driven by railway expansion. By 1873, Britain's iron and steel exports reached £77 million. New industries did not easily replace traditional ones. Less than 20% of the workforce was in technologically advanced sectors by the late 19th century. Traditional industries changed slowly. New technology was expensive and often broke down. Its effectiveness was also sometimes overstated.
Hand Labour and Steam Power
Victorian Britain had abundant human labour. Industrialists preferred hiring people over costly machines. Many industries had seasonal labour demands. The upper classes also preferred handmade goods. These items symbolised refinement and class. Countries with labour shortages, like 19th-century America, favoured mechanical power.
Life of Workers
Abundant labour impacted workers' lives significantly. Getting a job often depended on existing social networks. Seasonal work meant prolonged periods of unemployment. Wages increased in the early 19th century, but prices also rose sharply. Economic slumps led to high unemployment rates. The Spinning Jenny, devised by James Hargreaves in 1764, sped up spinning and reduced labour needs. After the 1840s, building activity in cities increased employment opportunities. Road construction, railway expansion, and new infrastructure created many jobs.
Industrialisation in Colonies: India
Age of Indian Textiles
Before industrialisation, Indian silk and cotton goods dominated international textile markets. Ports like Surat, Masulipatam, and Hooghly facilitated this vibrant sea trade. European companies gradually gained power. They secured trade concessions and then monopoly rights. This led to the decline of old ports. Local merchants and bankers faced ruin. Surat's trade value plummeted from Rs 16 million in the late 17th century to Rs 3 million by the 1740s.
What Happened to Weavers?
The East India Company established direct control over weavers. It appointed paid servants called gomasthas to supervise them. Gomasthas collected supplies and checked cloth quality. The Company provided loans for raw materials. Weavers had to hand over their finished cloth to gomasthas. Clashes often occurred due to gomasthas being outsiders and offering very low prices.
Manchester Comes to India
As British cotton industries grew, industrial groups pushed for import duties. This protected Manchester goods in Britain. They also persuaded the East India Company to sell British manufactures in India. Indian weavers faced dual challenges. Their export market collapsed due to cheap Manchester imports. They also competed with lower-cost machine-made goods within India. By the late 19th century, Indian factories started production, further challenging weavers.
Factories Come Up in India
India saw its first cotton mill in Bombay in 1854. The first jute mill opened in Bengal in 1855. By 1862, Bombay had four cotton mills, and another jute mill came up. The Elgin mill started in Kanpur in the 1860s. Ahmedabad's first cotton mill was set up in 1861. Madras saw its first spinning and weaving mill in 1874.
Early Entrepreneurs
Indian entrepreneurs played a vital role. Dwarkanath Tagore in Bengal made his fortune in the China trade. Parsi industrialists like Dinshaw Petit and Jamsetjee Nusserwanjee Tata built vast industrial empires in Bombay. Colonial rule, however, barred Indian businessmen from trading manufactured goods with Europe.
Where Did Workers Come From?
Indian factory workers numbered 584,000 in 1901, growing to over 2,436,000 by 1946. Most workers migrated from nearby districts. Peasants and artisans sought work in industrial centers. For example, over 50% of Bombay cotton workers in 1911 came from Ratnagiri. Kanpur mills recruited from within Kanpur district. Many millworkers maintained ties with their villages, returning for harvests or festivals. Industrialists used jobbers for recruitment.
Peculiarities of Industrial Growth
European Managing Agencies established plantations. They acquired land cheaply from the colonial government. The Swadeshi movement from the early 20th century promoted Indian industries. Indian yarn exports to China declined after 1906. This was due to competition from Chinese and Japanese mills. During World War I, British mills focused on war production. Manchester imports into India declined significantly. After the war, Manchester never regained its market position in India. This provided a temporary boost for age of industrialisation class 10 notes on domestic production.
Small-scale Industries Predominate
Large industries formed a minor part of the economy, mostly in Bengal and Bombay. Handicrafts and handloom production actually expanded in the 20th century. By the second decade, weavers used looms with a fly shuttle, improving efficiency.
Market for Goods
Advertisements played a key role in creating new consumers. They appeared in newspapers, magazines, and on hoardings. Ads also served as a vehicle for nationalist messages like Swadeshi. Manchester industrialists used labels like "MADE IN MANCHESTER" to assure quality. Images of Indian gods, goddesses, or historical figures appeared on labels. These aimed to associate products with cultural respect and quality.
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