Question

When did the export of cotton and silk goods from India practically cease?
A. Starting of 19th century
B. Middle of 19th century
C. End of 18th century
D. None of these

Answer 1

Hint: The flood of Manchester goods was one of the reasons why the export of Indian cotton and silk practically ceased. It was during this time a huge mutiny took place against the East India Company.

Complete answer: It was in the middle of the 19th century that the export of cotton and silk from India experienced a sharp decline. There were many reasons for this phenomenon, let us look at some of them in detail.
The British imposed large import duties on cotton textiles which led to the collapse of the export market in the 19th century.
There was an increase in the export of British goods to India and this resulted in markets being flooded by Manchester goods.
Indian weavers were technologically handicapped and the British goods were machine-made. Therefore the Indian traders could not compete with such cheap products.
Raw cotton was exported on a large scale from India to Britain which led to an increase in the price of cotton.
Therefore the answer is option B.

Note: Industrial groups in Britain started worrying about imports from other countries as the cotton industries developed in England. The British government, under the pressure of these groups, increased import duties on cotton textiles so that Manchester goods would not face any competition.