Question

How did East India Company procure regular supplies of cotton and silk textiles from Indian weavers?

Answer 1

East India Company could assert a monopoly of right to trade when they established political power in India. East India Company went on to develop a system of control and management to ensure regular supplies of cotton and silk goods, control costs, and eliminate corruption. East India Company achieved this by undertaking various measure which are given below:

First Step to Procure Regular Supplies – By East India Company

• The East India Company tried to establish a more direct control over the weaver.
• The existing brokers and traders connected with the cloth trade were first eliminated by the East India Company.
• To examine the quality of cloth, to collect supplies, and to supervise the weavers, East India company appointed Gomastha, a paid servant.

Second Step to Procure Regular Supplies – By East India Company

• Through the system of advances, the East India Company prevented weavers from dealing with other buyers.
• For production, weavers were given loans to purchase raw materials, once an order was placed by the East India Company.
• The weavers who took loans could not sell their products to any other trader, but had to hand the products to Gomastha.
• With hopes to increase their earning, weavers were happy to take advance loans, as there was expansion in the demand for fine textiles
• Earlier weavers had a small plot of lands, the produce from which augmented the needs of their family.
• Now, with this new system implemented by the East India Company, weavers had to devote their entire time for weaving and weavers had to lease out their lands.
• The entire family including children and women had to engage in different stages of weaving.
• Before this system was implemented by the East India Company, the weavers had social connections with supply merchants, who helped the weavers in times of crises, as the merchants were also living in the same village as weavers. However in the case of Gomastha, weavers were punished if there was delay in supply.
• Weavers received very low prices for their products and they were tied to the company due to loans.
• Hence weavers either revolted or left the villages.