CBSE Class 10 Social Science: The Age of Industrialisation NCERT Solutions

1. Women workers in Britain attacked the Spinning Jenny because this new machine significantly sped up the spinning process. This led to a valid fear among women employed in the woollen industry that their jobs were at risk due to reduced labour demand. Their traditional livelihood, based on hand spinning, was threatened by this technological advancement.
2. In the seventeenth century, merchants from European towns began to employ peasants and artisans in villages because production in urban areas was restricted by powerful trade guilds. These guilds controlled prices, quality, competition, and entry into trades. In contrast, the countryside offered a more flexible environment with fewer regulations, and impoverished peasants were willing to accept work from these merchants, leading to a system known as proto-industrialisation.
3. The port of Surat experienced a decline by the end of the eighteenth century primarily due to the increasing dominance of European trading companies. These companies obtained significant concessions and exclusive trading rights from local rulers. This shifted trade away from older ports like Surat and Hoogly, where local merchants had previously operated, leading to a slowdown in exports and financial difficulties for local banks.
4. The East India Company appointed gomasthas to establish more direct control over Indian weavers and the cloth trade, bypassing existing intermediaries like traders and brokers. The gomasthas were paid employees who oversaw the weavers, managed the collection of finished textiles, and ensured the quality of the cloth produced. This system aimed to centralise management and control of the textile industry under the British, helping to regulate costs and secure regular supplies.

1. False. While industrialisation was advancing, a significant portion of the workforce in Europe was still engaged in agriculture and other sectors at the end of the nineteenth century, not predominantly in advanced industrial sectors.
2. True. India had a long-standing reputation and dominance in the international market for producing fine textiles, a position it held until the rise of industrial production in Europe.
3. False. The American Civil War led to a shortage of cotton from the US, which in turn increased the demand for Indian cotton. Consequently, cotton exports from India actually increased during this period, not reduced.
4. True. The invention and introduction of the fly shuttle significantly improved the efficiency and productivity of handloom weavers, allowing them to produce cloth at a faster pace.

Proto-industrialisation refers to a historical phase of industrial development that occurred before the establishment of the factory system. During this period, large-scale production of goods for an international market took place, but it was not concentrated in factories. Instead, it often involved merchants distributing raw materials to rural households, where peasants and artisans worked on producing goods, typically textiles, in their own homes. This system allowed for increased production volume to meet global demand prior to the advent of industrial factories.