Question

Write a note on the history of cotton mills in India

Answer 1

Explanation:
In this, we will have to cover the important events of Indian cotton mills.
(Key Concept: First Mil; Bombay(1854), black soil, Ahmedabad & Kanpur, First World War)

Answer:

• The first cotton mill in India was set up as a spinning mill in Bombay in 1854
• Bombay had previous trading history and it grew as an important port for the export of raw cotton from India to England and China
• By 1900, over 84 mills started operating in Bombay. Mills came up in other cities too. The first mill in Ahmedabad was started in 1861. A year later a mill was established in Kanpur, in the United Provinces
• In the first few decades of its existence, the textile factory industry in India faced many problems. It found it difficult to compete with the cheap textiles imported from Britain
• Also there was no support from the local government
• But that all changed after the first world war as during the war the textile imports from Britain declined and Indian factories were called upon to produce cloth for military supplies.