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Decline of Handicrafts in the Nineteenth Indian goods, while the British goods were chiefly
Century
Europe tasted the fruits of the Industrial
Revolution, and it resulted in two aspects of
industries chiefly. Now, machines were used for
production, so goods could be produced at a
large-scale at less cost. Secondly, the quality of
goods was good. On the other hand, in India, the
goods were chiefly produced using hand. Only
small tools were used. These Indian goods could
not compete against the industrial goods in terms
of quality and price.
Info Bits
Info Bits
At present, Indian Railways has a network of over
63,465 km of route length covering all states and
union territories of India. It is the largest network
in Asia and second largest in the world.
Causes of Decline of Handicrafts in India
The arrival of the British resulted in the decline of
Indian handicrafts and industry. This decline can
be attributed to the following causes :
Industrial Revolution
The Indian goods were produced using hand or
small tools, while the British goods were
produced in large factories using machines. The
machine-made goods were cheaper in price and
finer in quality. Moreover, the industries in
England required raw materials in a very large
quantity, so the British procured raw materials
from India in bulk. The Indian peasants and
traders were interested in large-scale sale of raw
materials to the British, due to which the Indian
industries were starved of raw materials.
Patronage of Indian Rulers
There were a large number of rulers and nobles in
India, who patronised craftsmen. However, as the
British gained control over more and more
territories, the rulers and nobles receded from
prominence. As such, the craftsmen could no more
be given patronage, and it hastened their decline.
Discriminatory Duties and Taxes
The British imposed heavy duties and taxes on
free from them. It made the Indian goods costlier,
so they could not stand in comparison to the
British goods. The Indian goods were levied heavy
duties when exported to England.
Unfavourable Shipping Conditions
Before the arrival of the British, the Indian goods
were exported to other countries in large cargo
ships. They carried finished goods from India and
on their return journey, brought other finished
goods from other countries. However, the British
did not allow the Indian ships to carry goods from
the British ports. On the other hand, the British
ships carried finished goods from Britain and raw
materials from India. Thus, they could save costs,
while the Indian ships had to incur losses because
they had to return empty. This worked to the
detriment of Indian industry because shipping
became very expensive for Indian goods.
Oppression of Artisans and Craftsmen
As the Indian artisans and craftsmen were
rendered jobless, they sought work with the
British factories. They were employed on the basis
of discriminatory rules. They were paid less and
made to work more. Also, a craftsman once
employed could not leave his job. If he did so, he
was arrested and punished.
Unfavourable British Policy
In addition to the above, the British government
imposed all kinds of restrictions on the
development of Indian industry. Now, India was
made a country from where they could procure
raw materials, and where they could sell their
finished goods, at a heavy profit. No attention was
paid to the development of Indian industry and
crafts.
New Means of Transport and
Communication
The British introduced in India the telegraph
services in 1852 and the railway services in 1853.
The first railway line was inaugurated on 16 April,
1853 between Bombay (now Mumbai) and Thane.
In two decades from 1849 to 1869, 4,287 miles of
railway line was laid connecting different towns
Crafts and Industries
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