Q 1 – What made Britain the foremost industrial nation in the 19th century?
Ans. Mechanised production of cotton made Britain the foremost industrial nation in the 19th century.
Q 2 – Name the place where the Indian textiles were extensively traded.
Ans. These were traded in Southeast Asia (Java, Sumatra and Penang) and West and Central Asia.
Q 3 – What is meant by Muslin?
Ans. Finely woven textiles were known as Muslin named by the European traders.
Q 4 – What actually do the term Chintz describe about?
Ans. Chintz were the printed clothes and the word was derived from Hindi word. Chhint meaning cloth with small and colourful flowery design.
Q 5 – What did the word Bandanna refer to?
Ans. The word Bandana referred to any coloured and printed scarf for the neck or head.
Q 6 – Which act was passed by the British government banning use of cotton textiles – Chintz in England?
Ans. The Act was known as the Calico Act
Q 7 – Who invented the steam engine?
Ans. The steam engine was invented by Richard Arkwright.
Q 8 – Where did the Tanti weavers belong to?
Ans. They belonged to Bengal.
Q 9 – What is meant by bellows?
Ans. Bellows is a device or equipment that can pump air.
Q 10 – Who were the two persons in the year 1904 travelling to search iron ore deposits and in at which place?
Ans. In 1904, Charles Weld, an American geologist and Dorabji Tata, the eldest son of Jamsetji
Tata, were travelling in Chhattisgarh in search of iron ore.
Q 11 – In which year did the TISCO begun producing steel and also name the river bank on which it was situated?
Ans. TISCO begun producing steel in year 1912 and it was situated on the Subarnarekha River bank.
Q 12 – What does the term smelting mean?
Ans. The term smelting is the process of obtaining a metal from rock (or soil) by heating it to a very high temperature or of melting objects made from metal in order to use the metal to make something new.
Q 13 – Which were the two industries focused by the British rule?
Ans. Textile, Iron and Steel industries.
Q 14 – Name the country which was foremost industrial nation in the 19th century?
Ans. Britain
Q 15 – Where is the Surat located in India?
Ans. It is located in Gujarat
Q 16 – Name different variety of clothes.
Ans.
Chintz, Cossae (Khassa), Bandara
Q 17 – In which clothes was the small and colourful flowers were designed?
Ans. In Chintz
Q 18 – India was the world’s largest producer of which products?
Ans. Fine quality of cotton textiles.
Q 19 – In which year the Calico act was passed?’
Ans. In 1720
Q 20 – Who was the discoverer of electricity and electromagnetism and what fascinated him the most among Indian products?
Ans. Michael Faraday, a European scientist was discoverer of electricity and electromagnetism and he was fascinated with the Indian Wootz. He was fascinated in such a way that he spent his four years studying the properties of Indian Wootz.
Q 21 – How was the TISCO set up at an opportune time? Explain in brief.
Ans. TISCO was set up at an opportune time as in 19th century. India was importing steel that was manufactured in Britain and expansion of Railway in India had provided a huge market for rails that the British produced. Therefore, in such condition sudden decline in the availability of steel during Ist world war made TISCO the biggest steel industry within the British empire.
Q 22 – Mention the reasons behind the Industries conquest and colocalization of India by the British?
Ans. The reasons were:
- In late 18th-century company was buying raw material from India at cheaper rates and selling than at huge profits in Europe.
- India was seen as the vast market with the growing industrialisation.
Q 23 – What was the process of cloth making?
Ans. The process involves:
- First stage of production was spinning.
- After the spinning took place threads were woven into cloth by the weaver.
Q 24 – Describe the growth of cotton mills in India.
Ans. The Ist cotton mill of India was set up in Bombay in 1854, By 1900, over 84 mills started operation in Bombay. Ist mill in Ahmedabad was started in 1861. A year later mill was established in Kanpur.
Q 26 – Name the part of country of the following weaver communities belongs to:
- The Tunti weavers
- The Julahas
- Sale.
Ans.
- Tunti weavers they belong Bengal.
- The Julahas were from North India.
- Sale were from South India.
Q 27 – How did Indian Wootz find its place in the history of Tipu Sultan, and what was the actual special feature of Indian Wootz?
Ans.
- Tipu Sultan who ruled Mysore till 1799 fought 4 wars with the British and died fighting with his sword which was incredibly hard and sharp-edged that could easily rip through the opponent’s armour This quality of sword came from a special type of high carbon steel called Wootz.
- Its special features were: Wootz steel, when made into swords, produced a very sharp edge with a flowing water pattern. This pattern came from very small carbon crystals embedded in the iron.
Q 28 – Explain the event of discovery of Rajhara hills, one of the finest ones in world.
Ans.
- In the year 1904, Charles Weld, an American geologist and Dorabji Tata the eldest son of Jamsetji Tata were travelling in Chhattisgarh in search of iron ore deposits, and one day they found a group of men and women carrying basket laods of iron ore.
- These people were garias. When the Agarias were asked from where they found iron ore, they pointed to the hill in the distance. Weld and Dorabji reached the hill after an exhausting trek through dense forests.
- On exploring the hill, the geologists declared that they had at last found the finest ores, for what they were looking for.
- The hill name was Rajhara and it had one of the finest ore in the world.
Q 29 – What was the main reason behind the lower demand of iron produced by the local Indian smelters?
Ans.
- The main reason behind the lower demand of iron been produced by the local Indian smelters was that by the late 19th-century iron and steel were being imported from Britain.
- Ironsmiths in India began using the imported iron to manufacture utensils and instruments.
- This inevitably lowered the demand for iron produced by local smelters.
Q 30 – Look the pictures given below and answer the following questions:
Ans.
- Patola weaves
- Jamdani weaves
- Chintz weaves
- Vandana weaves
Q 31 – On an outline map of India represent the following which shows the major centres of weaving in the late 18th century.
(i) Punjab (Lahore)
(ii) Gujarat-
(iii) Bengal (Calcutta)
(iv) Bihar (Patna)
(v) Golcon
(vi) Masulipatnamda
Ans.
Q 32 – Name some varieties of cloth that were produced in India during the 18th century.
Ans. Some varieties of cloth that were produced in India during the 18th century were…
Chintz
Cossaes
Bandanna
Kasimbazar
Patna
Calcutta
Orissa
Charpoore
Q 33 – What was the ‘calico Act’?
Ans. In 1720, the British government banned the use of printed cotton textiles from India. This law was called ‘Calico Act’.
Q 34 – What is a ‘spinning jenny’?
Ans. In 1764, the spinning jenny was invented by John Kaye which increased the productivity of the traditional spindles. The spinning jenny is a multi-spool spinning wheel. The device dramatically reduced the amount of work needed to produce yarn. A single worker was able to work eight or more spools at once.
Q 35 – Name some weaver’s community in India
Ans. Some of the weaver’s community in India were …
- The tanti weavers of Bengal
- The julahas or momin weavers of north India,
- Sale and kaikollar and devangs of south India
Q 36 – What were the advantages that Indian weavers had?
Ans. Indian weaver knew the art of weaving intricate designs. This was not possible in weaving machines that produced cloth in England. There was a great demand for the intricately woven cloth by the rich and middle-class in India Indians had another advantage also. They produced a very coarse variety of cloth that was cheap and was used by the poor people in India. There was a constant demand for this variety of cloth also.
Q 37 – Were the weavers given any importance during the national movement?
Ans. Weavers were given a lot of importance during the national movement. During the national movement, Mahatma Gandhi urged people to boycott imported textiles and use hand-spun and hand-woven cloth. Khadi gradually became a symbol of nationalism. The charkha came to represent India, and it was put at the centre of the tricolour flag of the Indian National Congress adopted in 1931.
In 1854 the first cotton mill in India was set up as a Spinning mill in Bombay. By 1900, over 84 mills started operating in Bombay. Many of these were established by Parsi and Gujarati businessmen who had made their money through trade with China. In 1861 the first mill in was started in Ahmedabad. In 1862 the first mill was started in Kanpur.
Q 38 – Name the country where Patola was highly valued?
Ans. Indonesia.
Q 39 – What was Dacca famous for in the eighteenth century?
Ans. Mulmul and jamdani weaving.
Q 40 – During which period patola weaving was famous?
Ans. It was famous during the mid-19th century
Q 41 – Name two places where chintz were produced during the mid-19th century.
Ans. Masulipatnam and Andhra Pradesh
Q 42 – Name the origin of the word calico
Ans. Calicut
Q 43 – Give reasons why Indian textiles were renowned all over the world.
Ans. Their fine quality and beautiful craftsmanship made them renowned all over the world.
Q 44 – Why were bellows used?
Ans. Bellows were used to keep the charcoal burning.
Q 45 – How did Indian cotton factories prove to be helpful during the First World War?
Ans. They began to produce cloth for military supplies.
Q 46 – What became a symbol of nationalism?
Ans. Khadi became a symbol of nationalism
Q 47 – How did European trading companies purchase cotton and silk textiles in India?
Ans. European trading companies purchased cotton and silk textiles in India by importing silver.
Q 48 – What were piece goods?
Ans. Piece goods were usually woven cloth pieces that were 20 yards long and 1 yard wide.
Q 49 – Who were Agarias?
Ans. The Agarias are a community of iron smelters living in villages in Central India.
Q 50 – What were the furnaces made of?
Ans. The furnaces were made of clay and sun-dried bricks.
Q 51 – How did Indian cotton factories prove to be helpful during the First World War?
Ans. They began to produce cloth for military supplies
Q 52 – Who were the weavers? Mention the names of the communities famous for weaving.
Ans. Weavers belonged to communities that specialised in weaving. Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Their skills were passed on from one generation to the next. Some of the communities famous for weaving are the tanti weavers of Bengal, the julahas or momin weavers of north India, sale and kaikollar and devangs of south India.
Q 53 – Give a description of the four regions where textile production was concentrated in the early 19th century.
Ans. Textile production was concentrated in the following four regions in the early 19th century:
• Bengal was one of the most important centres. Located along the numerous rivers in the delta, the production centres in Bengal could easily transport goods to distant places.
• Dacca in Eastern Bengal, present- day Bangladesh, was the foremost textile centre in the 18th century. It was famous for its mulmut and jamdani weaving.
• Textile production was concentrated along the Coromandal coast stretching from Madras to nothem Andhra Pradesh.
• On the western coast there were important weaving centres in Gujarat.
Q 54 – How did the inventions of Spinning Jenny and Steam Engine revolutionise cotton textile weaving in England?
Ans. Textile industries had just emerged in England in the early 18th century. So, it was difficult for the English producers to compete with Indian textiles. This competition with Indian textiles led to a search for technological innovation in England. In 1764, the Spinning Jenny was invented by John Kaye which increased the productivity of the traditional spindles. Then came the steam engine. It was invented by Richard Arkwright in 1786. These two inventions revolutionised cotton textile weaving in England. Cloth could now be woven in immense quantities and cheaply too.
Q 55 – What was Wootz Steel? How was it produced?
Ans. Wootz was a special type of high carbon steel. It was produced all over south India.
• Wootz steel when made into swords produced a very sharp edge with a flowing water pattern. This pattern came from very small carbon crystal embedded in the iron.
• Wootz steel was produced in many hundreds of smelting furnaces in Mysore. In these furnaces, iron was mixed with charcoal and put inside small clay pots. Through an intricate control of temperatures the smelters produced steel ignots that were used for sword making not just India but in West and Central Asia too.
Q 56 – Give a brief description of growth of cotton mills in India
Ans. The first cotton mill in India was set up as a spinning mill in Bombay in 1854. By 1900, over 84 mills started operating in Bombay. Mills were set up in other cities too. The first mill in Ahmedabad was started in 1861. A year later a mill was established in Kanpur, in the United Provinces. Growth of cotton mills led to a demand for labour. As a result, thousands of poor peasants, artisans and agricultural labourers moved to cities to work in the mills.
Q 57 – Describe the process of cloth making
Ans. The process of cloth making consists of two stages:
• The first stage of production was spinning, Le. work done mostly by women. The charkha and the takli were household spinning instruments. The thread was spun on the charkha and rolled on the takli.
• When the spinning was over the thread was woven into cloth by the weaver.
- In most communities weaving was a task done by men. For coloured textiles, the thread was dyed by the dyer, called rangrez. For painted cloth the weavers needed the help of specialist block printers called chhipigars.
Q 58 – What problems did the Indian textile industry face in the first few decades of its existence? What happened after that?
Ans.
- The textile factory industry in Indian faced several problems in the first few decades of its existence.
- It found it difficult to compete with the cheap textiles imported from Britain. In most countries, governments supported industrialisation by imposing heavy duties on import.
- This eliminated competition and protected infant industries. The colonial government of India usually refused such protection to local industries. However, cotton factory production in India increased suddenly during the First World War.
- This was the period when textile imports from Britain declined and Indian factories were called upon to produce cloth for military supplies.
Q 59 – In what way did the development of cotton industries in Britain affect textile producers in India?
Ans. Indian textiles were famous all over the world for their fine quality and exquisite craftsmanship. But the development of cotton industries in Britain marred their fame. Textile producers in India got affected due to this in the following ways:
• Indian textiles now had to compete with British textiles in the European and American markets.
• Exporting textiles to England also became increasingly difficult since very high duties were imposed on Indian textiles imported into Britain. By the beginning of the nineteenth century, English made cotton textiles successfully ousted Indian goods from their traditional markets in Africa, America and Europe.
Q 60 – How did Iron and Steel factories come up in India?
Ans.
- Jamsetji Tata had decided to spend a large part of his fortune to build a big iron and steel industry in India. But this could not be done without identifying the sources of fine quality iron ore.
- For this reason his son, Dorabji Tata along with Charles Weld, an American geologist, began travelling in Chhattisgarh in search of iron ore deposits.
- It was the year 1904.One day, after travelling for many hours in the forests, Weld and Dorabji came upon a small village where they met the Agarias, who were carrying basket loads of iron ore.
- When asked where they had found the iron ore, the Agarias pointed to hill in the distance, Weld and Dorabji rushed to the hill. On exploring the hill the geologist declared that they had at last found what they had been looking for. But there was a problem.
- The region was dry and the Tatas had to search for a more suitable place to set up their factory. A few years later a large area of forest was cleared on the banks of the river Subarnarekha to set up the factory and an industrial township, i.e. Jamshedpur. Here, there was water near iron ore deposits.
- The Tata Iron and Steel Company, popularly known as TISCO began producing steel in 1912.
Q 61 – Describe how the Indian iton smelting industry declined in the nineteenth century.
Ans. There were several reasons behind this:
• The new forest laws introduced by the colonial government in India prevented people from entering the reserved forests. This created problems for the iron smelters. It became difficult for them to find wood for charcoal and iron ore. As a result, many gave up their craft and looked for other means of livelihood.
• In some areas the government did grant access to the forest. But the iron smelters had to pay a very high tax to the forest department for every furnace they used. This reduced their income.
• By the late nineteenth century iron and steel was being imported from Britain. Ironsmiths in India began using the imported iron to manufacture utensils and implements. This lowered the demand for iron produced by local smelters.
• By the early twentieth century, the artisans producing iron and steel faced a new competition that came up with the emergence of iron and steel industries in India.