Which of the following statements correctly explains the impact of Industrial Revolution on India during the first half of the nineteenth century?
Correct Answer: Option A
In the early 18th century, India was a major exporter of textiles. However, by the mid-19th century, it had lost both its export and a significant portion of its domestic market.
With the onset of the Industrial Revolution in England, cotton industries flourished. Industrial groups lobbied the government to impose import duties on cotton textiles. This was done to ensure that goods from Manchester could be sold in Britain without external competition.
Simultaneously, industrialists convinced the East India Company to promote the sale of British manufactured goods in Indian markets. Consequently, British cotton goods exports to India surged dramatically in the early 19th century.
Indian cotton weavers faced a dual challenge: the collapse of their export market and the contraction of the local market due to the influx of Manchester imports. Machine-made, lower-cost imported cotton goods were too cheap for Indian weavers to compete with.
By the 1850s, reports from weaving regions across India reflected widespread decline and devastation.
Hence, option (a) is the correct answer: Indian handicrafts were ruined.