India’s Textiles

Why is the textile industry important in India? Essential Question Why is the textile industry important in India?

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                          Key Term Textile- a type of cloth or woven fabric.

Introduction Indian weaving industry employs a large section of the Indian population. A large market for weaving products exists both in the international and domestic market.

Why it’s successful After agriculture, weaving is largest provider of work force in India. There is a large quantity of the raw material (cotton). The continuous supply of cheap work force is one of the contributing factors behind the success of the weaving industry of India.

                          Key Term Weaving- An artwork made of thread, yarn, or other fibers laced or woven together on a loom.

Weaving The Indian Weaving Industry trains young weavers, has an abundance of resources. Weaving is eco-friendly. Weaving is skill that is passed on from generation to generation.

Key Term Weaver – An artist who creates weavings.

Caste System Weaving still exists in India, but the carriers of this tradition are not respected. Throughout history there are evidences that show that weavers are low in the hierarchical system. The British invasion and their policies of free trade kept them low in society (economically).

Respected? With the independence of India it was expected that the art of weaving would become more respectable. However this did not happen.

Size of the industry Over 38,000,000 Indian Weaving industries have been built throughout India. More than 15, 000,000 domestic weaving industries have been set up in the of North and Eastern parts of India.

Domestic and Export Share India had numerous trades with the outside world and Indian textiles were popular in the ancient world. Indian silk was popular in Rome in the early centuries of the Christian era since olden days.

Domestic and Export Share Cotton material originating from India have been found in the Egyptian tombs at Fostat (5th century A.D.) Cotton textiles were also exported to China during the heydays of the silk route. Silk fabrics from south India were exported to Indonesia during the 13th century it self.

Domestic and Export Share India also exported printed cotton fabrics to European countries and the Far East before the coming of the Europeans to India. The British East India Company also traded in Indian cotton and silk fabrics.

                          Key Term East India Company- the company chartered by 1600 by the British government to trade in the East Indies.

Key Term Loom – A frame or machine used to hold yarn or other fibers for weaving.

Key Term Warp– In weaving, the vertical threads attached to the top and bottom of a loom.

Key Term Weft– The threads woven back and forth, over and under the warp fibers on a loom.

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