Class 10 Social Science - CBSE
History: The Age of Industrialisation
The Age of Industrialisation chapter explores how the world changed with the rise of factories, machinery, and mass production. It starts by looking at proto-industrialisation and hand labour in Britain, contrasts this with the mechanised cotton and metal industries, and details the harsh working conditions of early industrial workers. The chapter then shifts focus to India, examining how traditional Indian textiles and weavers suffered under British colonial rule, how Indian entrepreneurs built modern factories, and the unique characteristics of industrial growth in colonies. For CBSE board exams, this chapter is crucial for understanding modern economic history and typically features long-answer questions about the condition of weavers and workers.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Proto-Industrialisation
A phase of industrial production that existed in Europe before the factory system, where merchants from towns traded with rural peasants and artisans to produce goods for international markets.
Gomasthas
Paid servants appointed by the British East India Company to supervise weavers, collect supplies, and examine the quality of cloth directly in Indian villages.
Spinning Jenny
A machine invented by James Hargreaves in 1764 that sped up the spinning process and reduced labour demand, causing panic and attacks by traditional handspinners.
The 'Age of Indian Textiles'
The period before machine-made goods dominated, when Indian silk and cotton dominated the international market, which later declined due to discriminatory tariffs imposed by the British.
Jobbers
Trusted workers or old hands employed by industrialists in India to recruit new workers from their native villages, often demanding money and gifts in return.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the CBSE Class 10 History board exam, this chapter generally carries around 4 to 5 marks. Questions are typically asked as 1-mark objective questions, 3-mark short answers, or 5-mark long answers focusing on the decline of Indian weavers or the comparison between life in Victorian Britain and Indian industrialization.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Victorian industrialists prefer hand labour over machines in some industries?
In Victorian Britain, there was no shortage of human labour. Industrialists preferred hand labour because machines were expensive, prone to breaking down, and certain seasonal industries required specific manual skills that machines could not replicate.
How did the East India Company suppress Indian weavers?
The Company eliminated competition by appointing paid servants called gomasthas to control weavers, preventing them from dealing with other buyers, and forcing them to accept advances through a system of regular loans that trapped them in debt.
Why were European Managing Agencies dominant in early Indian industries?
European Managing Agencies established most early Indian industrial enterprises because they had large amounts of capital and controlled tea plantations, mining, indigo, and shipping sectors, restricting Indian industrialists to specific raw material markets.
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