Handloom to Mill: The Evolution of Indian Textile Industry in Colonial Times

The discovered textile fragment at Mohenjo-daro provides age-old evidence of textile production in India. Since ancient times, various regions of India had developed distinct techniques for producing different types of textiles. The quality and diversity of Indian textiles earned widespread recognition and acceptance among foreign traders and consumers. The weavers produced textiles within their households using simple tools and equipment. In other words, the Indian textile industry developed primarily on the basis of a ‘Domestic Production System’. However, during the colonial period, the exploitative economic policies of British rule pushed India’s traditional textile industry into a deep crisis. At the same time, the ‘Factory Production System’ began to develop in the Indian textile sector. From the second half of the nineteenth century onwards, textile mills gradually emerged in India through the initiatives of Indian capitalists. These mills increasingly produced yarn and cloth with the help of machinery system. As a result, machine-made textiles began to compete with the products of the traditional handloom industry in the domestic market. In this competition, mechanised textile mills gradually strengthened their position, while the handloom industry faced numerous challenges. Consequently, the growth of India’s traditional handloom industry was hindered, and the industry gradually lost ground in many areas.