Colonialism and the Decline of the Cotton Industry in British India (1763-1863)

Abstract

Before 1763, India's cotton textile industry benefited from its superior natural conditions and the wide application of sufficient labor force and production tools. However, the British first conquered the northwest, the northeast and the DecPlateau; secondly, the use of the steam engine and the establishment of the large factory system; and finally, the British exploited the Indian cotton textile industry through industrial policies on trade ban, tariffs, plantations and tax rights. This not only brought about the rise of the cotton textile industry and the vigorous development of the industrial revolution, but also made India from the center to the edge and become a vassal of Britain. The impact and plunder of colonialism are the root causes of China's chronic poverty and backwardness in India today.