Question

In 1900-1901, 20 mills of Mumbai reduced the labourer's wages by ______ %.
A) 12.5%
B) 15%
C) 20%
D) 50%

Answer 1

Hint: A number of major events occurred in the United Kingdom, which resulted in a decrease in demand for Indian cloth around the world. In the years following 1750, factories started to spring up in the United Kingdom, and machines began to spin and weave fabric.

Complete answer:
In the years 1900-1901, some 20 Mumbai mills cut labourers' wages by 12.5%. As a result, 20,000 mill employees went on strike and stopped working. For ten days, all 20 mills were closed.

Working-class people fought back against their unjust working conditions. In Mumbai, there has been one strike after another since 1870. To begin with, there were no labour organisations or unions. Every mill's workers would band together to go on strike and bring pressure on the owners. To defend their own rights, the workers will have to fight.

The situation mentioned in the question was one example for such a situation. The workers struggled not only for their salaries, but also for India's independence from the British. Lokmanya Tilak, a prominent Indian freedom fighter, was sentenced to six years of exile from India by the British in 1908.

Hence, option (A) 12.5% is the correct option, i.e In 1900-1901, 20 mills in Mumbai reduced the labourer's wages by 12.5 %.

Note: Similarly, in 1919, when the cost of living rose but labourer salaries did not, all of Mumbai's mills went on strike, and the mills were closed for 12 days.In a flash, all of Mumbai's mill workers went on strike for six days to protest this. In this way, workers took part in the independence movement on several occasions.