Question

1. Fill in the blanks: The word chintz comes from the word _________.
2. Tipu’s sword was made of_________ steel.
3. India’s textile exports declined in the _________ century. - GK Q&A

Answer 1

Answers:

1. Chhint
2. Wootz
3. Nineteenth Century

Popularity of Indian textiles in European Market – Including Chintz

• Bandanna, Khassa (Cossaes), Chintz were popular in European markets as they were ordered in bulk.
• One could find the list from an order book of East India Company officials which was sent to its officials in Calcutta. This order book was of the year 1730, and had an order for 5,89,000 pieces of cloth which had 98 different varieties of silk and cotton.
• In Europe and England, from the 1860s, there began a craze for printed Indian cotton textiles. These textiles were popular for their relative cheapness, fine texture and exquisite floral designs.
• Indian fabric was worn by rich people in England.
• Even the Queen of England used to wear Indian fabric.
• Till the end of the eighteenth century the world trade was dominated by Indian textiles.
• English, French and Dutch trading companies purchased silk and cotton textiles from India by importing silver and made a lot of profits.

Wootz Steel – Sword of Tipu Sultan

• The sword used by Tipu Sultan was made of Wootz steel.
• This sword could easily penetrate the armours of opponents.
• This sword was made of a special kind of high carbon steel known as Wootz, it was produced all over South India.
• European scientists were fascinated by Indian Wootz steel.
• The world famous scientist named Michael Faraday had spent 4 years trying to understand the properties of Indian Wootz.

Decline of Indian Textile Exports – Nineteenth century

• In several ways, the development of cotton industries in Britain impacted the textile producers of India.
• In the European and American markets, British textiles provided competition to Indian textiles.
• Due to the imposition of very high duties on textiles imported into Britain, India found it very difficult to export textiles to England.
• Cotton textiles made in England successfully defeated the competition from Indian textile goods in American, European and African markets by the beginning of the nineteenth century.
• In India, thousands of weavers became unemployed, and the worst hit place was Bengal.
• To secure supplies, agents no longer gave advances to weavers as the European and English companies stopped purchasing goods from India.
• In addition, Indian markets were flooded with British cotton clothes by the 1830s.
• Two-thirds of all the cotton clothes worn by the Indians by the 1880s were produced in Britain.