Question

Which of the following two problems were faced by cotton weavers in India?

• A. Short supply and decline in demand
• B. Decline in production and rise in cost
• C. Export market collapsed and local market shrank
• D. Company officials' treatment and governments' apathy

Answer 1

The correct option is C Export market collapsed and local market shrank

• By the turn of the 19th-century, weavers faced a new set of problems. As the cotton industry developed in England, Indian cotton weavers faced two problems - their export market collapsed and local market shrank being flooded with British goods. Indian handmade goods could not compete with fine machine-made goods of England.
• By 1860, they faced a new problem. They could not get sufficient supply of raw cotton which was sent to England for their industries after American world war. The prices of raw cotton shot up and Indian weavers were forced to buy raw cotton at exorbitant prices. In most cases, they were unable to pay.