8

CHAPTER

Industrial Revolution

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In the previous chapter, you learned about the various ways in which things
are made by artisans. We also read that many of them are not able to compete with
machine-made products and that many people have stopped practising their
professions. In this chapter, we shall explore how machines have come to dominate

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the way in which products are made and how they impact the lives of people.

Increasing Control of Traders

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who were controlled by traders. There was
From 1500 BCE to 1800 BCE, trade
no system as in a factory - that is, the
between countries in America, Europe,
different stages of producing cloth did not
Africa and Asia increased manifold. Textile
happen in the same place but in different
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trade too began to expand. Now, European households. Each trader engaged 20-25
traders began to use putting out system – craftspersons at each stage of production.
that is, they gave advance to small farmers
and artisans to produce textile goods. Sometime later, the traders brought the
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During this period, income from farming craftspersons under one roof so that they
could explain their requirements and
was low and many peasants lost their farms
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organise the production more effectively.

and grazing lands. Therefore, textile work
They set up small workshops called
helped them to make a living.
manufactories. The craftsmen brought their
Under putting-out system, a cloth trader own tools and worked with raw materials
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in Britain purchased cotton from a supplier given by the trader. Then, the trader took
and carried it to the spinners. Then, the yarn the product and sold it in the market. In
was taken by the trader to the next stage of this way, slowly, the control of the trader
production - the weavers. The cloth was over the craftpersons increased. This phase
then taken to the fullers and finally, to the is called ‘proto-industrialisation’ – a phase
dyers who gave it colour. These different in which more and more people entered
activities could be done in different parts craft production, traders established
of the country. But, the finishing work was control over the workers, and a large
done in London before it was sold in other market for craft products developed across
countries. Thus, textiles goods were the world.

78 Production, Exchange and Livelihoods Social Studies

Beginning of Industrial such machines. Then came the long awaited
Revolution - 1750-1850 BCE invention – a machine which could spin a
Many changes took place during this large amount of yarn in a short time.
However, these machines were very heavy
period. Around 1750, machines and steam
and the artisans thought, ‘It is so tiring to
power began to be increasingly used to
turn these machines with our hands or feet.
produce goods, to move goods and people
How nice would it be if these machines
from one place to another. Several people

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could turn by themselves!’ This dream also
living in villages moved to towns and cities came true with the famous invention of

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for work. Today, we use many machines and James Watt’s steam engine.
machine-made goods in our daily life. This
was the beginning of the ‘machine age’ in
James Watt’s Invention
Britain. James Watt was an English craftsman

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who invented machines. He noticed that
As the demand for cloth, and other
steam had so much strength that it could
handicrafts increased multiple times, many
artisans wondered how they could increase
the production to keep up with the demand.
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he made a machine which would run with
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the help of steam and would not need men
Some of them began to think,‘These days, or animals to drive it.
there is a great demand for our cloth, but He showed his invention to an
we are unable to produce more cloth to
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industrialist called Boulton and the two

meet this demand. Besides, the cloth made entered into a partnership to make such
in our looms is expensive. If we can make machines. Boulton invested the necessary
machines that can spin the yarn faster and money and paid a salary to Watt . Watt made
weave cloth faster, we will be able to the steam engine. They made an agreement
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produce more cloth at a lower price. Then

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more people would buy our cloth and we connecting

could earn more money.’ piston and
As a result of the pressure of trade and the wheel

work, several people attempted to make

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Fig 8.2 This is one of the steam engines

made by James Watt. The piston under the
Fig 8.1 Spinning Jenny - A new pressure from the steam pushes the rod up
machine to spin yarn. and down which, in turn, turns the wheel.

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between them to share the profits: two The Experience of a 19th
thirds to Boulton and one third to Watt. Century Child Worker
Together, they made a large number of
In the 19th century, the industrial
steam engines, sold them and made huge
workers of Europe had to face several
profits. Once it was established that
hardships. Let us read about the
machines could run on steam, such
experiences of a child employed in an
machines were made for all kinds of work

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English coal mine.
– spinning, weaving, making iron tools,
driving vehicles and ships etc. “I have been working in these mines

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since I was four. Workers hew coal with
Š How did the need for self-driven
pickaxes and fill the large wagons with
machines emerge in England?
it. Our job is to push these loaded wagons
Š Do you think the agreement

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to a point from where horses or mules can
between the scientist-inventor and haul them. This is a very difficult job.
the capitalist fair ? Give reasons.

Factory System of Production

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water and slush, and over very steep
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slopes, leaves us very tired. We have to
Between 1750-1850, a new system work in this way for more than 12 hours
called the ‘factory system’ emerged. In a day. By the time we return home, we are
place of simple tools and manual power,
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so tired that we don’t even feel like

new machines and steam power came to be eating. Yesterday, I fell asleep on my way
used increasingly. Production was now to home. My mother searched for me and
carried out in a place called ‘factory’, carried me home.”
unlike what we read earlier, where
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production took place in houses. Hundreds

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of workers were brought together to work

in these large factories. Machines became
important in place of minor tools and
handlooms. They produced goods on a very
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large scale.
All the facilities needed for production
were owned and managed by individuals
called capitalists. They invested money on
workers, raw materials, machines, etc. and
owned them. Unlike in guild system,
workers worked for wages and did not own
the things they produced.
The early factories were dreadful places Fig 8.3 Children pushing a cart inside a
to work. coal mine.

80 Production, Exchange and Livelihoods Social Studies

 Several movements were started to we are too tired to work. But the factory
enforce a ban on employing children in owner uses whips to goad us to keep
factories and mines in such pathetic working.
conditions. In response to these
These days, new machines are being
movements, child labour was banned both
introduced constantly. Since they can do
in Europe and US after 1936.
the work of several workers in the same
Inside Early Factories time, fewer workers are required. Every

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Major changes swept the industries with time a new machine is introduced, many
the coming of machines. Machines could

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of us are thrown into the street.”
be worked on by even unskilled persons.
Most of these workers had no other
Thus, skilled artisans were no longer
option as they had been expelled from their
required. In their place, a large number of
lands and if they were small craftsmen,

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women and children were employed and
made to work for meagre wages. their shops had closed down. Gradually,
Machines cost a lot of money, and workers of factories and mines formed
ordinary artisans could not afford them.
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conditions of work. In the beginning, they
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Only wealthy merchants could set up
mechanised factories. demanded for 8 or 10 hours working day,
This is what the workers had to say about higher wages, disallowing children under
their plight: 14 years of age from being employed in
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“Every day, we come for work at 6 am. mines or factories etc. Over time, the
and work till 8.30 pm. The lunch break is struggles and their conditions were
only for an hour. By the end of the day, improved.
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Fig 8.4 Redrawing of an illustration of inside of a factory.

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 Fig 8.5

Fig 8.5, 8.6 & 8.7

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Š Look at these
illustrations. They are

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called etching. There
were no photograph,
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show the details in
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them. They were
made during the time
of Industrial
revolution There is
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also a redrawn
illustration on the
Fig 8.6 previous page in
colour. How are these
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pictures different?
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Which illustration
shows more detail?
Fig 8.7 Do you notice
children in these
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illustrations? What
detials of a factory do
you see in them?

82 Production, Exchange and Livelihoods Social Studies

 Š Who were employed to work on construction of roads. Within another
machines? decade, bitumen-based binding, which we
Š Do you know any factory nearby? see in our areas as tar(mac) roads,were
Compare its conditions of work built. This was further followed by the use
with that of English factories of of motor cars.
150 years ago. In the early 20th Century, an aircraft
was developed by Wright Brothers and

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The factories too have changed by now. today, air transport is the fastest means of
Almost all the work has become automated,
transport.

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with machines directed by computers. They
require very few people and little manual Trade in Industrial Products
work to run them. Industrial production increased so much
Sources of Energy and that it was not possible to sell all the

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Industrial Development products in their own countries. The
factory owners began to sell them in other
You have seen that energy is needed to
run machines in a factory. Energy is
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cheap and durable. Hence, the demand for
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available from coal, electricity, petroleum, them increased all over the world. This gave
and so on. Initially, industries depended
a boost to the industries in England and
upon the energy from coal and steam.
other countries. However, the interesting
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Subsequently, they started using several

thing about them is they did not have the
other sources of energy like thermal and
raw materials required for the production
hydroelectricity, petroleum, natural gas,
nuclear energy and solar energy. of these goods. For example, the cotton
needed for producing cloth was grown in
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Transport Revolution India and America. English traders

The invention of steam engine boosted
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purchased these raw materials from India

the shipping industry. It also reduced the and other countries and sold them to factory
cost of transportation to one third of the owners. Subsequently, the traders
cost of road transport. Yet people looked purchased the finished products and sold
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for better means of transportation. The next

them in countries like India, America, etc.
big thing in the context of transport was
adaptation of steam engine to locomotives. In order to serve the interests of their
George Stephenson’s locomotive pulled own trade and industry, the Europeans
heavy loads along a 64 kilometre track from sought to subjugate these countries. Other
Liverpool to Manchester at a speed of 46 countries like France, Germany, Spain,
kilometers per hour. Portugal, Belgium, Holland etc, which
In 1840s, John Loudon McAdam devised considered themselves as mother
a method of laying the road using broken countries, conquered colonies in Asia,
stones. This created a hard surface, which Africa, Australia and America (‘Colonies’
was an important advancement in the are those countries whose resources are

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used for the benefit of another country). which were cramped and had little
These European countries exploited the sanitation or other facilities. Accidents,
colonies in other continents and grew diseases and epidemics were common.
wealthy in the process. Look at the map Most workers’ residential areas lacked
given below showing the European proper ventilation, health and sanitation
countries and their colonies around the facilities. Slums became common scenario
world in 1800.(map1) in towns and cities especially near the

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factories and mines. At the same time,
Urbanisation and slums distinct quarters came up for the rich and

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Industrial revolution led to gradual shift the powerful. These areas well provided in
of people from villages to towns. Industries terms of open spaces, sanitation, water
and other urban activities gave livelihood supply, roads and other facilities. Slowly,
people fought for their civic rights and the

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to many people. As people moved to towns
which were newly emerging, they settled conditions of the workers quarters also
improved.
down in makeshift houses and shelters
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United Kingdom
France
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Portugal
Spain
Netherlands (Dutch)
Turkey
Independent Kingdoms & Countries
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Map 1: A world map showing colonies of European countries in 1800. Do you notice at this time
most colonies were coastal areas including in India. Look at the map of Africa on page 61 and
describe the change?

Keywords :
1. Revolution 5. Nuclear Energy
2. Production 6. Urbanisation
3. Factory 7. Child worker
4. Organisation 8. Slums

84 Production, Exchange and Livelihoods Social Studies

 Improve your learning

1. Correct the false sentences:

Under the putting-out system,
a. Spinners took cotton to the weavers.
b. Unlike in guild system, traders controlled what product was to be

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made.
c. All the work was done by the same group of people.

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Under the Guild system,
a. All small farmers were allowed to learn weaving.
b. Weavers determined the prices and quality of the products.

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2. Putting out system is better than factory based production of textiles. Do you agree? Give
reasons for your answer.
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3. If Kruthika argues, “Railways in India were built only for the benefit of the people by the
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colonial rulers”, how can you counter this statement?
4. How will the increase in the wages of workers affect industrial production?
5. Why did factory owners pay low wages and force workers to work for longer hours?
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6. Why do you think the working conditions in factories should be improved?

7. Why is it necessary for government to enact laws to improve the working conditions?
8. Why are children not allowed to work in factories?
9. Transport system helps the industry – justify this statement in the context of Industrialisation.
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10. Locate the following countries in the world map.

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a) England b) Portugal
c) France d) Spain
11. Read the para ‘Urbanisation and slums’ of page 84 and comment on it.
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Project:
1. You may recall the chapter on agriculture and trade in Class VI. Compare the nature of farmers
and traders in Telangana with traders in Britain or Europe. You can use a few criteria and
tabulate.
2. Do you know any child working in a factory or shop? If you find, how do you respond?

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