Long answer -Class 10 – Social Science – History – Chapter 4: The Age of Industrialisation

Class 10 – Social Science – History -Long answer – Chapter 4: The Age of Industrialisation

Q1. Explain the main features of proto-industrialisation.

Ans :  The history of industrialisation began with the setting up of the first factories but there was large scale industrial production in England and Europe which the historians refer as proto-industrialisation. The main features of proto-industrialisation were:

a. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the world trade and the colonies expanded which increased the demands of goods. The merchants were not able to cope up within towns because of the powerful urban crafts and trade guilds and therefore they moved to the countryside to persuade the peasants and artisans to produce for the international market and also supplied money to them.

b. These trade guilds restricted the entry , of the new people into the trade because ‘ monopoly rights were granted to them to produce and trade in specific products. This situation made the new merchants difficult to set up their business units in towns

c. The poor peasants and artisans eagerly agreed to take the advance offered by the merchants and were willing to produce goods for them.

d. During this time in the countryside the open fields were disappearing and commons were being enclosed. The cottagers and peasants were looking for alternative source of income because they were dependent on the common lands and gathering of firewood, vegetables, berries, vegetables, hay and straw for their livelihood. Many of them had small plots of land which was not sufficient to provide work to all the family members.

e. During this period London came to be known as the Finishing Centre because the finishing work of the cloth was done in London before it is exported in the international market.

Q2. Why were there frequent clashes between Gomasthas and weavers in the villages? Explain five reasons.

Ans : The following were the reasons for the frequent clashes between Gomasthas and weavers in the villages:

a. Earlier, the weavers dealt with the supply merchants who lived within the weaving villages and had a close link with the weavers whereas the gomasthas were outsiders who had no social link with the weavers.

b. The supply merchants were looking after the needs of the weavers whereas the gomasthas acted arrogantly and often heat them for the delay in supply.

c. Due to the new system of gomastha the weavers lost the space to bargain.

d. The weavers could not sell to other buyers.

e. The price for the cloth received from the .Company was very low and the loans J which they received from the Company tied them with the Company itself.

Q3. “Historians now have to increasingly recognize that the typical worker in the mid-nineteenth century was not a machine operator but the traditional craftsperson and labourer.” Analyse the statement.

Ans : The new industries were not able to displace the traditional industries. This can be proved with the fact that till the end of the 19th century less than 20% of the workforce were engaged in the technologically advanced industries and a large portion of the output was produced within the domestic units.

Food processing, building, pottery, glass work etc. were the non-mechanized sectors in which the changes were ordinary with small innovations.

The technological changes occurred very slowly because the new technology was very costly.

The merchants and industrialists were highly cautious for its use as the machines often broke down and its repair was too expensive.

These machines were not as effective as it was claimed by the investors and the manufacturers.