Cotton Textile Industry in Howrah District during Colonial Period

The line between two halves of industrialisation era of 19^th century is evident. The first half was dominated by small-scale domestic industries and the second half went in favour of steam powered machines. The weaving industry, especially clothes, takes the most importance in Bengal’s economy right after agriculture. The traditional weaving is renowned in both local and foreign field. The Company, foreign and local businessmen invested and directed their own mills and employed labours to produce clothes. Sometimes the handloom weavers borrowed capital from the businessmen and made clothes at home with help of family members. The workers were of three types- (a) someone with small capital who produced with help of family and sold the product themselves, (b) someone who borrows capital beforehand with a promise to supply products at a pre-set price and quality, (c) the capitalist kind who invested and directed their own mills and also employed workers. In this third kind, there was role of third party. In this era, weaving of clothes was considered as small-scale domestic industry. The ‘Tantis’ and ‘Jolas’ produced clothes by physically operated looms. Most of the raw cotton, essential for this industry, came from Surat, Doab from north India, southern India and Berar
Keywords: industrialisation, capitalist mills, employed workers.